There are many perceived benefits to eating a family meal together, such as improving children’s wellbeing, encouraging better eating habits and discouraging unhealthy behaviour. Now research suggests there could be increased health benefits for children with asthma and other chronic illnesses in sitting round the dinner table with siblings and parents.
The study, involving 200 children aged from five to 12 with persistent asthma, found that quality family time had a positive effect on their health compared to those who ate alone.
What appeared to make the crucial difference was in the social interactions between those enjoying a meal together, particularly when electronic devices such as televisions and mobile phones were switched off and family members were able to interact with each other about their day without any distractions.
The study’s findings revealed that children with persistent asthma who sat down to regular family meals, no matter how short, had fewer severe symptoms, better lung function and better quality of life.
The Child Development team from the University of Illinois filmed their study participants at mealtimes to see how the family behaved, noting that conversational meals reduced the asthma symptoms in the child. The more distractions during a meal, the more likely the child was to have asthma symptoms.
Interestingly, the average time for a family meal during the study was 18.7 minutes with some meals lasting only 8 minutes and others more than 45. The biggest distractions were watching television and using mobile phones, either to text or make calls.
The research team concluded that communication was the key to a child’s better overall health because families that spent time eating and talking together were more likely to notice any symptoms of asthma and more likely to note when their child’s medication was required.
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