Frequency of family meals and food consumption in families at high risk of type 2 diabetes: the Feel4Diabetes-study

Conclusions: The frequency of family meals is positively associated with improved food consumption patterns (i.e., higher intake of fruits and vegetables and reduced consumption of sweets) in both parents and children. However, the association in children is partially mediated by parents ’ diet quality. The promotion of consuming meals together in the family could be a potentially effective strategy for interventions aiming to establish and maintain healthy food consumption patterns among children.Trial registration: The Feel4Diabetes-study is registered with the clinical trials registry (NCT02393872),http://clinicaltrials.gov, March 20, 2015.What is Known:• Parents’ eating habits and diet quality play an important role in shaping dietary patterns in children• Family meals frequency is associated with improved diet quality of children in healthy populationWhat is New:• Frequency of family meals was significantly associated with healthier food consumption among parents and children in families at high risk of type 2 diabetes in six European countries.• Parental diet quality mediates the association between family meals frequency and the consumption of some selected food items among children.
Source: European Journal of Pediatrics - Category: Pediatrics Source Type: research