Family meal frequency among children and adolescents with eating disorders

Roni Elran-Barak, Maya Sztainer, Andrea B. Goldschmidt, Daniel Le Grange

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Purpose Previous studies on family meals and disordered eating have mainly drawn their samples from the general population. The goal of the current study is to determine family meal frequency among children and adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and feeding or eating disorder not elsewhere classified (FED-NEC) and to examine whether family meal frequency is associated with eating disorder psychopathology. Methods Participants included 154 children and adolescents (M = 14.92 ± 2.62), who met criteria for AN (n = 60), BN (n = 32), or FED-NEC (n = 62). All participants completed the Eating Disorder Examination and the Family Meal Questionnaire prior to treatment at the University of Chicago Eating Disorders Program. Results AN and BN participants significantly differed in terms of family meal frequency. A majority of participants with AN (71.7%), compared with less than half (43.7%) of participants with BN, reported eating dinner with their family frequently (five or more times per week). Family meal frequency during dinner was significantly and negatively correlated with dietary restraints and eating concerns among participants with BN (r = -.381, r = -.366, p <.05) and FED-NEC (r = -.340, r = -.276, p <.05). Conclusions AN patients' higher family meal frequency may be explained by their parents' relatively greater vigilance over eating, whereas families of BN patients may be less aware of eating disorder behaviors and hence less insistent upon family meals. Additionally, children and adolescents with AN may be more inhibited and withdrawn and therefore are perhaps more likely to stay at home and eat together with their families.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)53-58
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Adolescent Health
Volume55
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2014
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This study was supported by NIH grants R01-MH-070620 (Dr. Le Grange).

Keywords

  • Anorexia nervosa
  • Bulimia nervosa
  • Family meal frequency
  • Youth

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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