Abstract
Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of family meal frequency and voluntary communication during mealtime with dietary attitudes, dietary behaviors, and quality of life among fifth-grade students.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with 1,752 fifth-graders from a total of 13 elementary schools in Sakado City, Saitama. Data of 1,445 students (boys: n = 770, girls: n = 675) among those who answered self-administered questionnaires in 2006 and 2007 were used in this analysis. Students were divided into four groups based on their answers on family dinner frequency and voluntary communication during mealtime. Differences in dietary attitudes, dietary behaviors, and quality of life by four groups were analyzed.
Results: A total of 242 boys (31.4%) and 288 girls (42.7%), who has family dinner ≥4 times /week and have much voluntary communication, were included in Group A. Students in Group A were more likely to have positive dietary attitudes, dietary behaviors, and quality of life, compared to those in Group B (i.e., family dinner ≥4 times /week and little voluntary communication) and Group D (i.e., family dinner ≤3 times /week and little voluntary communication). Few significant differences were found between groups A and C (i.e., family dinner ≤3 times /week and much voluntary communication), or between groups B and D.
Conclusion: This study suggests that regular family meal occasions, as well as much voluntary communication during mealtime, are associated with better dietary attitudes, dietary behaviors, and quality of life in students.
