To date, there has been much research to suggest that sharing meals as a family can help reduce the risk of teen substance use. A recent study investigated whether the quality of family interactions during meals and childhood adversity impacts this association. Results suggest that higher-quality interactions during meals, with fewer distractions and more meaningful engagement, can be a protective factor.
The Tufts study: Dinners may shield teens from substance use
This study, approved by The Tufts University Social, Behavioral, Educational, and Research Institutional Review Board, utilized cross-sectional data collected from an online survey, with 2090 parent-adolescent (12-17 year olds) participants. [1]
Data collected from the study involved the following ratings: [1]
- Family dinner quality rated 0-6 (low to high).
- Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), rated 0 (low), 1-3 (low to moderate), and 4 or more (high).
- Past month substance use as “yes” or “no”.
The quality of family dinner is determined by scores from the child version of the Family Dinner Index tool (FDI-C), which assesses communication, enjoyment, digital distractions, feelings, expectations, and rules at dinner. These indicators focus on the quality of interactions during meals, rather than the meals themselves. [2]
Adverse childhood experiences in the study include mental health and substance use issues within the family, witnessing violence, and physical or sexual harm. [1]
The results of the study show that family dinner quality and adverse childhood experiences can significantly lower the likelihood of adolescents using alcohol, vapes, or cannabis. For adolescents scoring low or low-to-moderate ACEs, the higher the FDI-C score, the lower the substance use prevalence score. [1]
Limits for high-adversity teens
Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, describe a rating that measures exposure to stressful and traumatic circumstances in children under age 18. Children who have experienced four or more ACEs, considered high-adversity, showed a much higher prevalence of substance use regardless of FDI-C score compared to those who scored low to moderate adversity.
Although higher FDI-C scores lowered substance use prevalence slightly, the difference was not significant. As such, family time cannot prevent or reduce the risk of substance use in teens if the child has experienced high levels of trauma and emotional distress. [1]
Why family dinners might impact substance use risk
Families who spend high-quality time together, such as at family dinners, are more likely to share strong bonds and use effective communication, leading to healthier and stronger family relationships. These aspects can improve the adolescent’s emotional stability and mental well-being, and are linked to improved impulse control and emotion regulation, which reduce substance use risk. [3][4]
Sharing dinners can be a good opportunity for parents to ask about the child’s life, peers, emotional well-being, interests, concerns, and other aspects of their lives. Parents can also spot concerning changes in their child’s mental or physical health if they are having regular shared experiences and communication. [5]
Substance use is commonly linked to impairments in mental health, as it is often used as a coping mechanism. People with support networks, such as strong family bonds, may be more likely to utilize healthy coping mechanisms due to better resilience and emotional support. [3][4]
Protective factors in adolescent substance use
Protective factors help to offset risk factors related to the environment, traumatic experiences, and predispositions to mental illness or addiction. Research suggests that the following can be protective factors in adolescent substance use: [4][6]
- Supportive parents
- Close and open family relationships
- Boundaries and expectations within the home
- Peers who do not use substances
- High self-esteem
- Resilience and emotion regulation
- Problem-solving skills
- Engaging in structured sports or activities
- Positive adult role models
- Goals or ambitions
How often do family meals need to happen?
Ideally, family meals should take place as frequently as possible. These meals should be of high quality, with no television or device distractions, healthy communication, and with clear expectations around meal preparation and interaction. [5]
One study shows that adolescents who have fewer than three family dinners per week are more likely to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, and try cannabis, and are more likely to have friends who use substances, compared to those who have five or more family dinners per week. [7]
Practical tips for busy families
Work commitments, extra-curricular activities, or other scheduling conflicts can prevent regular family dinners. To help with this, families could:
- Simplify meal preparation by preparing a big meal on the weekend that can be frozen and eaten later in the week, or by utilizing a slow cooker that allows for meals to be prepared before the family returns home.
- Split dinner times to match schedules, such as one parent dines with one child, and then later, the other parent dines with the other child.
- Plan to share breakfasts or lunch if evenings are very busy, or meals over the weekend.
- Ensure that time spent together is effective by focusing on communication, not screens, keeping conversations away from negative topics, and not disciplining children during meals.
- Involve children in meal preparation, increasing enjoyment and interaction before eating.
- Engage in meaningful conversation in the car or in between activities.
What to do if a teen is already using substances
If a parent is concerned about their teen already using substances, they can seek advice and support from professional services. A family physician can provide advice and referrals for specialist support in managing adolescent substance use. This might include treatments such as rehabilitative services and psychological therapies.
Additionally, parents or guardians can search the Recovered directory for adolescent programs in their area.
Final thoughts
Regular quality time during family dinners can significantly reduce the risk of substance use among adolescents who have experienced low to moderate childhood adversity. As such, families can help to protect young people from the risks of substance use by ensuring that they engage in shared meals, discussions, activities, and other high-quality time together.
In families with high conflict or adolescents who have experienced a great deal of adversity, it might be necessary to implement trauma-based or family therapies or other specialized treatments to help reduce the adolescent’s risk of substance use.
-blog-detail.jpg?v=1722513795)