Say yes to “Sunday dinner” and no to “Nyam and scram”: family mealtimes, nutrition, and emotional health among adolescents and mothers in Jamaica

This 2018 study analyzed the family mealtimes that occur in Jamaica and investigated its association with nutritional and emotional health. Urban adolescents and their mothers completed questionnaires to report the quality (priority, atmosphere, structure) and quantity (frequency) of their family mealtimes. The average number of family meals eaten by mothers was 3-4 times per week. Among this subgroup of mothers, the quality, but not frequency, of mealtimes was linked with health. Several trends were identified among the sample, including the correlation between unhealthy eating, and watching TV during meals. Moreover, adolescents of high socioeconomic status ate more unhealthily if their mothers struggled more to find time for family meals (and vice versa). Having trouble finding time for family meals also correlated with increased psychological distress among adolescents and mothers. Furthermore, psychological distress was linked with having fewer positive attitudes or behaviors towards mealtime atmosphere, and with placing lower importance on mealtimes (among individuals with high socioeconomic status only). This study highlights the importance of sitting down and eating meals together as a family in Jamaica, regardless of how many times the family can get together to eat per week. Finally, relaxing family meals without the interruption of the television (termed “Sunday Dinner” in Jamaica) should provide nourishment to the body and soul. [NPID: Jamaica, nutrition, adolescents, mothers, family meals, family, psychological distress, family mealtimes]

Year: 2018

Reference: Giray, C., & Ferguson, G. M. (2018). Say yes to "Sunday Dinner" and no to "Nyam and Scram": Family mealtimes, nutrition, and emotional health among adolescents and mothers in Jamaica. Appetite, 128, 129–137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2018.05.132

Related Studies

Family home food environment and nutrition-related parent and child personal and behavioral outcomes of the healthy home offerings via the mealtime environment (home) plus program: a randomized controlled trial

This 2018 study focused on the Healthy Home Offerings (via the Mealtime Environment Plus program), a family meals intervention that aims to prevent childhood obesity. Fulkerson et al. assessed its effects on family home food environment and nutrition-related personal and behaviors of both the parent and child. The program included 5 calls with parents to […]

Associations between Japanese schoolchildren’s involvement in at-home meal preparation, their food intakes, and cooking skills

This 2016 study examined the extent to which Japanese school children are involved in at-home meal preparation by surveying fifth-grade children and one of their parents. The goal of the study was to investigate the association between the children’s involvement in the food preparation process with their level of food intake and cooking skills. Nozue […]