Alexandra Hermann misses her usual family dinners.
At home, Hermann, a UF nursing freshman, talks to her parents about her day every afternoon. But now Hermann, 18, eats alone in her dorm room.
“I don’t have anyone to talk to about my day,” she said.
A new study published by the Journal of Adolescent Health reveals that frequent family dinners have a positive impact on adolescent well-being.
The study examined the frequency of family dinners related to adolescent mental health and communication between adolescents and their parents.
David Janicke, an associate professor in UF’s Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, said family mealtime provides families with great opportunities to model healthy communication.
“The more positive time families have together, I think that is something that leads to more positive development over time,” he said.
