Human Ecology Research

The Korean Home Economics Association (대한가정학회)
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The Multiple Dimensions of Family Meals and Their Associations with Family Strengths from the Perspective of Korean Mothers with School-Aged Children

가족식사의 다차원성과 가족건강성: 학령기 어머니를 중심으로

  • Kim, Eun-Joo (Shindo Middle School) ;
  • Lee, Jaerim (Department of Child Development and Family Studies and the Research Institute of Human Ecology, Seoul National University)
  • 김은주 (신도중학교) ;
  • 이재림 (서울대학교 아동가족학과 및 생활과학연구소)
  • Received : 2021.03.09
  • Accepted : 2021.04.10
  • Published : 2021.05.30
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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between family meals and family strengths (cohesion and flexibility) in Korean families with school-aged children. We focused on five dimensions of family meals: frequency, family rituals, communication, rules and roles, and perceptions. Our data came from 619 mothers who were married with at least one child in elementary school. Our multiple regression analyses showed that mothers reported higher levels of both cohesion and flexibility when they gave a higher priority to family meals, made family meals a ritual, had conversations on diverse topics during family meals, or experienced lower levels of meal-related stress. In addition, higher levels of family flexibility were found when a family had more structured rules related to family meals and the father more regularly participated in meal-related housework. This study contributes to the literature by understanding the roles of family meals from a multi-dimensional perspective.

Keywords

References

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