US EditionNew Research Claims Family Dinners May Keep Teens Off Drugs
Higher-quality family dinners reduce teen substance use by 22–34% among those with low-to-moderate adversity, but trauma-informed support is needed for high-adversity youth.
- A Tufts University School of Medicine study found higher-quality family dinners linked to a 22 to 34 percent lower prevalence of adolescent substance use among 2,090 American adolescents and their parents, published in the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma.
- The research team at Tufts University used a weighted adverse-experience score to analyze household stressors and violence reports from children and parents, revealing links to adolescent substance use.
- Participants rated family-meal quality across communication, enjoyment, digital distractions and logistics and reported alcohol, e-cigarette and cannabis use in the previous six months.
- Practitioners were advised that family meals offer little protection for nearly one in five U.S. high-school-aged youths facing high adversity, who need trauma-informed support and targeted interventions.
- Given the limits, researchers propose future research should explore other supportive routines beyond family meals to protect high-adversity adolescents.
22 Articles
22 Articles
Daily Journal
New research claims family dinners may keep teens off drugs
Sitting around a table and regular bonding over meals may help prevent youngsters from using alcohol, cannabis and other drugs.
The Latest Argument for Having Consistent Family Dinners? Less Teen Drug Use
Regular family dinners have long been credited with a range of positive outcomes—including, just for starters, better parent-teen relationships, reduced stress, a healthier overall diet for adolescents, and positive mental and physical health for kids. Now there’s a new piece of evidence to add to the pile, with a Tufts University study finding that Family dinners may help prevent substance use for most adolescents. For the study, published …
Regular Family Dinners May Lower Substance Use Risk in Adolescents, Study
Groundbreaking research from Tufts University School of Medicine reveals compelling evidence that regular family dinners can play a crucial role in mitigating substance use among adolescents across the United States. This extensive study, which canvassed over two thousand young individuals aged 12 to 17 along with their parents, underscores the protective value of shared mealtimes. […]
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