Diet and Health Benefits Associated with In-Home Eating and Sharing Meals at Home: A Systematic Review

Karen Glanz, Jessica J. Metcalfe, Sara C. Folta, Alison Brown and Barbara Fiese
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Karen Glanz: Perelman School of Medicine and School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Jessica J. Metcalfe: Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61820, USA
Sara C. Folta: Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA
Alison Brown: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
Barbara Fiese: Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61820, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 4, 1-19

Abstract: In-home and shared meals have been hypothesized to have positive effects. This narrative review examines research on the influence of in-home eating on diet quality, health outcomes, and family relationships. A combination search approach included a search of PubMed, backward searches of previous published reviews, and studies the authors were familiar with. A search identified 118 publications; 54 original studies and 11 review studies were included in this review. Each study was reviewed and summarized. The diverse designs precluded quantitative data synthesis. Relatively strong evidence from cross-sectional research supports the association of shared family meals with favorable dietary patterns in children and adolescents, including consumption of fruits, vegetables, and healthful nutrients. Correlational evidence links shared meals with health and psychosocial outcomes in youth, including less obesity, decreased risk for eating disorders, and academic achievement. Most evidence is cross-sectional, thus, limiting attribution of causality. There is insufficient evidence to conclude that interventions improve the frequency of shared meals, improve diet, or prevent child obesity. Despite the “common wisdom”, the evidence that in-home, shared meals, per se, have positive effects on diet quality, health outcomes, psychosocial outcomes, and family relationships is limited due to weak research designs and single-item measurement of the independent variable. More research, with stronger designs, is warranted.

Keywords: in-home eating; shared meals; healthy diets; family mealtimes; home meals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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