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July 1, 2010

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Parenting approach predicts number of meals families share

KEYWORDS: Public Health, Research

News Summary

Parenting style can have a direct impact on the frequency of family meals and overall adolescent health, according to a new study by University of Minnesota School of Public Health and Medical School researchers.

Quotes

“Parents who exhibited authoritative parenting styles served the highest amount of family meals per week,” said Jerica Berge, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health in the Medical School, and author of the study. “This is important because we know regular family meals promote nutrition, academic performance, psychosocial well-being and reduced risk of using unhealthy weight-control behaviors."

“Providers who work with parents and families can reinforce the importance of authoritative parenting style,” Berge said. “They can help parents set realistic goals for family meals, explore ways to enhance parenting skills during family meals, discuss strategies to help parents be more authoritative, and make referrals for parents who are in need of further parenting skills and training.

Full Text

MINNNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL, Minn. (July 1, 2010) — Parenting style can have a direct impact on the frequency of family meals and overall adolescent health, according to a new study by University of Minnesota School of Public Health and Medical School researchers.

“Parents who exhibited authoritative parenting styles served the highest amount of family meals per week,” said Jerica Berge, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health in the Medical School, and author of the study. “This is important because we know regular family meals promote nutrition, academic performance, psychosocial well-being and reduced risk of using unhealthy weight-control behaviors."

The findings are published in the July 2010 edition of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

Parenting style is determined by behaviors of the parent that are consistent over time and that express the daily environmental and emotional situation in which they raise their children. Four classic parenting styles were used in the study: authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and neglectful. They were based on the degree to which parents respond to their children, and the extent to which parents make demands of their children.

Authoritative

  • High responsiveness (e.g. warmth, caring, communication) and high demandingness (e.g. structure, routines, limits)
  • Empathic and respectful of child’s opinions, but maintains clear boundaries and expectations
  • Most likely to provide the structure and support needed for family meals to occur
  • On average, eat 4-5 family meals per week

Authoritarian

  • Low responsiveness and high demandingness
  • Low warmth and strict discipline
  • On average, eat 3-4 family meals per week

Permissive

  • High responsiveness and low demandingness
  • Empathic and indulgent without discipline
  • On average, eat 3-5 meals per week

Neglectful

  • Low responsiveness and low demandingness
  • Emotionally uninvolved and does not set rules or have expectations
  • Least likely to create an environment where family meals occur
  • On average, eat 3-4 family meals per week

To increase family meals, Berge suggests that parents try to adjust their behaviors to reflect authoritative characteristics. Parents can practice setting routines, such as consistent family meals, and expressing warmth and caring in the home.

“Providers who work with parents and families can reinforce the importance of authoritative parenting style,” Berge said. “They can help parents set realistic goals for family meals, explore ways to enhance parenting skills during family meals, discuss strategies to help parents be more authoritative, and make referrals for parents who are in need of further parenting skills and training.”

The findings come from the third phase of an ongoing twelve-year study, known as Project EAT (Eating Among Teens). Project EAT is a population-based study comprised of middle and high school students from diverse ethic/racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. The study monitors nutrition and weight behaviors in adolescents over time.

Additional School of Public Health researchers on this study include Melanie Wall, Ph.D., Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., Nicole Larson, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., and Mary Story, Ph.D., R.D.

The study was funded by a grant from the Maternal and Child Health Program. Neumark-Sztainer is principal investigator. Berge’s time was supported by a grant from Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health from the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development, administered by the Deborah E. Powell Center for Women’s Health at the University of Minnesota.


  • School of Public Health


    For more than 60 years, the University of Minnesota School of Public Health has been among the top accredited schools of public health in the nation. With a mission focused on research, teaching, and service, the school attracts nearly $100 million in sponsored research each year, has more than 100 faculty members and more than 1,300 students, and is engaged in community outreach activities locally, nationally and in dozens of countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.sph.umn.edu. The School’s Centers for Public Health Education and Outreach promotes lifelong learning to bridge academic and public health practice communities.

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    Dedicated to excellence, diversity and service, the University of Minnesota Medical School educates the next generation of physicians, advances patient care, and discovers breakthroughs in biomedical research that enhance health in Minnesota and beyond. Its commitment to transform medical education, Rural Physician Associate Program, and success in training Native American physicians are well-known. More than 1,500 Medical School physicians and scientists provide world-class care and carry out nearly $200 million in research, which informs the treatments and care that patients receive. For more information, go to www.med.umn.edu.