SynthesisNutrients2023
Family Mealtimes: A Systematic Umbrella Review of Characteristics, Correlates, Outcomes and Interventions.
Synthesis in Nutrients, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
28 citing papers in PubMed.
- Influence of ACEs on Sleep Health in Early Childhood as Mediated by Family Routines.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Association Between Family Meal Frequency and Social and Emotional Skills Among Chinese Adolescents: Evidence from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS).Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Article
- Observed Mealtime Interactions, Meal Healthfulness, and Childhood Obesity Among Low-Income Families.Pediatric obesity · 2026Article
- Design and Validation of the Index of Adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Chile 2022 (GABAS-Index 17).Nutrients · 2025Article
- A Scoping Review of Eating Behaviors Associated with Weight Status in Black American Adults.Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities · 2025Review
- Ecological predictors of family mealtime over time among overweight African American adolescent-parent dyads.Journal of behavioral medicine · 2025Article
- Editorial to the Special Issue: Food Consumption Determinants and Barriers for Healthy Eating.Nutrients · 2025Article
- Article
- Is Involvement in Food Tasks Associated with Psychosocial Health in Adolescents? The EHDLA Study.Nutrients · 2025Article
- Evaluation of a national supermarket intervention supporting vulnerable families in healthy meal practices: a natural experiment.BMC medicine · 2025Article
- Making measuring family dinner quality more meaningful: Rescaling the 'Family Dinner Index' for ease of assessment and interpretation.MethodsX · 2025Article
- From plate to post: exploring representations of #familymeals through a content analysis of Instagram.Health promotion international · 2025Article
- Impact of a Recipe Kit Scheme (BRITE Box) on Cooking and Food-Related Behaviours of Children and Families: Exploring Parental/Carer Views.Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association · 2025Article
- A Narrative Review of Multifactorial Determinants of Childhood Eating Behaviors: Insights and Interventions Using the Social Ecological Model.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Comparing eating and mealtime experiences in families of children with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and dual diagnosis.Autism : the international journal of research and practice · 2025Article
- Unpacking family meals: state-of-the-art review critiquing the Western ideals, positioning and promotion of family meals.Health promotion international · 2025Review
- What is the role of family meals and social eating behaviour in relation to experiential avoidance in adolescents among Spanish adolescents? the EHDLA study.BMJ nutrition, prevention & health · 2025Article
- Detrimental Changes in Individual Health-Promoting Behaviors Among Internally Displaced Israelis.International journal of public health · 2025Article
- Associations between social eating contexts and affective states in adolescents: the EHDLA study.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Systematic reviews have examined the multitude of studies investigating family mealtimes and their importance to child/adolescent health and psychosocial outcomes, but the focus of each is limited to specific aspects of family meals (e.g., frequency) and/or specific outcomes (e.g., nutrition). Their findings require synthesis and so a systematic umbrella review was undertaken. Databases were searched to identify systematic reviews (with or without meta-analysis/meta-synthesis) addressing at least one of the following questions: what are the characteristics and/or correlates of family mealtimes; what outcomes are associated with family mealtimes; are interventions aimed at promoting family mealtimes effective? Forty-one eligible reviews were retrieved. Their findings demonstrate that families with children/adolescents typically eat together at least a few days each week. More frequent family meals are predicted by a more positive mealtime environment, more positive attitudes towards family meals, the presence of younger children, and families having more time. Greater family meal frequency protects children/adolescents against a poorer diet, obesity, risk behaviours, poorer mental health and wellbeing, and poorer academic outcomes. Findings from interventions seeking to promote family mealtimes are mixed. This umbrella review provides a comprehensive and integrated understanding of research into family mealtimes, establishing where evidence is sound and where further research is needed.
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What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.