Family dinner may reduce teens’ use of alcohol, drugs and vaping, study finds
A new study published in the journal Aggression, Abuse and Trauma suggests that regularly sharing meals with family may help discourage substance use among many teens, SWNS reported.
The study found that the quality is higher Family meals It has been linked to lower rates of alcohol, cannabis, and e-cigarette use in most teens.
For those with more severe adverse childhood experiences, shared meals alone appear to provide little protection.
Spending time together at family dinners may help protect teens from substance use and vaping. (Istock)
To arrive at these findings, the researchers analyzed online survey data from 2,090 teens ages 12 to 17 and their parents from across the United States.
Participants were asked about the quality of their family meals, including communication, enjoyment, digital distractions, and logistical challenges.
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Teenagers were also asked about their use of alcohol, vaping, and cannabis during the past six months.
SWNS explained that the researchers studied whether family meals were more or less effective depending on the teens’ levels of household stress and traumatic experiences, using reports from both parents and teens.
The survey asked participants about the quality of the family meal and teens’ use of alcohol, vaping, and cannabis during the past six months. (Istock)
Instead of treating all negative experiences the same way, the team weighted each factor according to how closely it was associated with drug use in previous research.
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Among adolescents who have low levels of childhood adversity, High quality family meals They have been linked to a 22% to 34% reduction in reported drug use.
Margie Skerr, lead author of the study and a professor at Tufts University, told SWNS that the findings reinforce the importance of routine. Family connection.
“These findings build on what we already know about the value of family meals as a practical and widely accessible way to reduce adolescents’ risk of substance use,” Skerr said.
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Regular family meals can help create opportunities for ongoing communication and parental involvement, which may play a role in reducing risky behaviors over time, she said.
The study found decreased substance use among adolescents who experienced less childhood adversity when family meals were more supportive and attractive. (Istock)
However, the study found that family meals provided limited benefit for teens whose distress scores amounted to the equivalent of four or more adverse childhood experiences.
“While our research indicates that adolescents who have experienced more… Extreme stress “While they may not see the same benefits from family meals, they may benefit from more targeted and trauma-informed approaches, such as mental health support and alternative forms of family engagement,” Skerr noted.
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Potential limitations noted by the researchers include the cross-sectional design of the study, meaning the results cannot determine cause and effect between family meals and substance use. The use of online recruitment may also limit the extent to which the results apply to all families.
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