Are family meal patterns associated with disordered eating behaviors among adolescents?
Neumark-Sztainer D; Wall M; Story M; Fulkerson JA Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454, USA. neumark@epi.umn.edu PURPOSE: To examine associations between family meal patterns (frequency, priority, atmosphere, and structure of family meals) and disordered eating (unhealthy weight control behaviors, binge eating, and chronic dieting) in adolescent girls and boys. METHODS: Survey and anthropometric data were collected from 4746 ethnically diverse adolescents from public middle and senior high schools who participated in the Project EAT study (Eating Among Teens). Variables of interest included family meal patterns and disordered eating behaviors. Logistic regressions were performed to examine associations between family meal patterns and disordered eating behaviors adjusting for body mass index, sociodemographic characteristics, family connectedness, and weight pressures within the home. RESULTS: In general, adolescents w
