Researchers have conducted a study to explore family dinner frequency and quality and its impact on mental health in children and adults during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

The study is published in the journal Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice.

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic-related control measures, especially movement restrictions, have forced families to eat meals together at home. Studies conducted during the pandemic have reported positive impacts of lockdown on family mealtimes, including increased family mealtime frequency, increased intake of home-cooked foods, sharing more meals with children, and involving children in food preparation.

The frequency of family mealtime has been found to significantly impact academic achievements and the mental and physical health of children and adolescents. A higher frequency has also been found to improve food-related factors, such as lower obesity risk, healthier food intake, and less food pickiness.

The quality of the family mealtime atmosphere, on the other hand, has been found to improve social factors, such as fewer emotional and peer problems in children and reduced psychological distress in parents.

In this study, scientists have assessed the changes in family dinner frequency and quality during the COVID-19 pandemic in a diverse, representative cohort of US parents.

Study design

The study was conducted on 517 US parents with children living at home. Family dinner frequency and quality were assessed using validated questionnaires.

Four parameters were explored to assess family dinner quality, including positive emotional interactions, negative mealtime behaviors, family support during meal preparation, and incorporation of the outside world (sharing news and politics at the table).  

The participants were also asked about their post-pandemic expectations, i.e., whether they wanted to maintain or even increase the during-pandemic frequency and quality of family dinners after the end of the pandemic.

Important observations

About 60% of participants reported an induction in family dinner frequency during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic level.

Regarding family dinner quality during the COVID-19 pandemic, about 60% of participants reported induction in positive emotional interactions, 63% reported induction in incorporation of the outside world, 65% reported induction in family support for preparing meals, and 68% reported induction in technology-supported remote dinners with extended family members.

Although less than the reported induction in positive behaviors, 44% of participants reported an increase in negative mealtime behaviors. Negative mealtime behaviors refer to using screens or technologies for personal use at the dinner table or having an argument or tension with family members at the dinner table.

Association between frequency and quality of family dinner

The statistical analysis controlling for potential confounding factors (employment, income, education, age, gender, and race of participants) revealed that more frequent family dinner is significantly associated with more positive emotional interactions, family support, and incorporation of the outside world.

A significant association was also observed between increased family dinner frequency and increased negative mealtime behaviors. However, the induction of positive family dinner qualities was significantly more pronounced than negative family dinner behaviors.

Regarding post-pandemic expectations, about 83% of participants who had increased the frequency of remote family dinners during the pandemic reported that they wanted to maintain or increase these mealtime practices even after the end of the pandemic.

Study significance

The study finds a substantial positive impact of increased family dinner frequency on the quality of mealtime atmosphere in US households during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The observed induction in family dinner frequency helped improve a range of positive behaviors, including expressing gratitude, laughing, feeling connected, sharing meals remotely with extended family members, and sharing news and politics at the table.

The scientists mentioned that the observed induction in negative mealtime behaviors along with positive qualities is an expected finding. When families spend more time together, they will likely experience more arguments or tension, as well as more time laughing at the table.

The study finds significant differences between each of the positive qualities and the negative behaviors but not between the positive qualities themselves. This indicates that even though increased family dinner frequency can bring out both beneficial and less favorable qualities during family dinners, the positives seem to outweigh the negatives.

The study highlights the benefits of remote socialization among extended family members in terms of reducing loneliness. The continued use of remote technologies to connect with physically distant family members may improve family bonding and help children develop a sense of belonging to a larger unit.

Overall, the study findings have important implications for researchers and clinicians who want to maximize the protective qualities of family dinners.