What's love got to do with it? Family cohesion and healthy eating behaviors in adolescent girls

OBJECTIVE:: To examine the association between family cohesion and behaviors linked to health or overweight in adolescents. METHOD:: Cross-sectional analyses of family cohesion and eating behaviors of 2,379 girls (followed from ages 9-19) who participated in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study (NGHS). Height and weight measurements were obtained on an annual basis. Family cohesion was measured by the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES) III. Food diaries were used to assess frequency of breakfast consumption and intake of milk, soda, fruits, and vegetables. RESULTS:: Family cohesion was significantly associated with less soda intake and higher rates of breakfast consumption. Ingestion of milk, fruits, and vegetables was predicted by family cohesion at the trend level. CONCLUSION:: Understanding the role of familial factors in adolescent eating behaviors is an important research priority. Strengthening family cohesion may be a valuable goal toward promoting the health of adolescents, increasing breakfast eating and decreasing soda consumption. © 2008 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2008