Family Meals and Substance Use: Is There a Long-Term Protective Association?Journal of Adolescent Health Volume 43, Issue 2, August 2008, Pages 151-156
\
To examine 5-year longitudinal associations between family meal patterns and subsequent substance use in adolescents.
Family meal frequency at baseline was associated with significantly lower odds of cigarette smoking, alcohol use, and marijuana use at follow-up among female adolescents, even after adjusting for baseline substance use and additional covariates. Family meals were not associated with use of any substance at follow-up for male adolescents after adjusting for baseline use.
Results from this study suggest that regular family meals in adolescence may have a long-term protective association with the development of substance use over 5 years among females. Parents should be encouraged to establish a pattern of regular family meals, as this activity may have long lasting benefits
Request Reprint E-Mail: eisen012@umn.edu
________________________________________________________________
