Exploration of parent-reported family meal dinner characteristics to inform a definition of family meals

Objective: To examine parent-reported key family meal characteristics to advance the conceptualization of how parents perceive family meals to inform public health interventions and clinical practice. Design: Cross-sectional study design using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and online survey data from a racially and ethnically diverse population. Participants: Parent/child dyads (N = 631) with children ages 5–9 years old from diverse, low-income households. Analysis: Multi-level logistic regression, conditional fixed effects estimators and multi-level logistic models with inverse probability weights. Results: Characteristics of meals that parents considered family meals (N = 3328) included: homemade, prepared by the caregivers, eaten at home (table/counter), most of the nuclear family gathered, having a conversation and an enjoyable atmosphere (p < 0.001). Characteristics of meals that parents deemed as non-family meals (N = 562) included: watching TV/tablets, non-family members joining, chaotic/rushed atmosphere (p < 0.001). Conclusions and implications: Parents consider family meals to be meals that take place at home around a table/counter, with homemade food prepared by the caregivers, and most family members gathered enjoying a conversation without other distractions. Study findings indicated that parents endorse specific characteristics as key for defining what “counts” as a family meal. These findings can be used by clinicians as recommendations for improving one's family meal experience and by future research as the basis for intervening on family meal characteristics and standardization of a definition of family meals.