Family dinners may be associated with lower rates of alcohol, drug, and vaping use among teenagers, according to new research highlighted by news agency SWNS. A study published in the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma suggests that regularly sharing meals as a family—particularly high-quality meals marked by positive interaction—can help reduce substance use for many adolescents.
Researchers found that teenagers who participated in more meaningful family meals were less likely to report using alcohol, cannabis, or e-cigarettes. Factors such as open communication, enjoyment during meals, minimal digital distractions, and fewer logistical challenges were all considered indicators of higher-quality family dining experiences.
However, the protective effect of family meals was not universal. For adolescents with more severe adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), shared meals alone appeared to provide limited benefit in reducing substance use.
The findings were based on an analysis of online survey data collected from 2,090 adolescents ages 12 to 17, along with their parents, from across the United States. Teens were asked about their alcohol, vaping, and cannabis use over the previous six months, while both parents and adolescents reported on household stress, trauma exposure, and the overall quality of family meals.
Rather than treating all childhood adversity equally, researchers weighted each adverse experience based on how strongly it has been linked to substance use in prior studies. This approach allowed the team to better assess how family meals interact with varying levels of household stress and trauma.
Among adolescents with lower levels of childhood adversity, higher-quality family meals were associated with a 22% to 34% reduction in reported substance use. Margie Skeer, the study’s lead author and a professor at Tufts University, said the results reinforce the importance of routine family connection.
She noted that shared meals can foster consistent communication and parental engagement, which may help reduce risky behaviors over time. However, for teens whose adversity scores were equivalent to four or more ACEs, family meals alone did not appear to significantly lower substance use.
Skeer emphasized that adolescents facing higher levels of trauma may benefit more from targeted, trauma-informed interventions, including mental health support and alternative forms of family engagement.
The researchers also acknowledged limitations, including the study’s cross-sectional design, which prevents establishing cause and effect, and the use of online recruitment, which may limit how broadly the findings apply to all families.
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