Objective: This study examined the association between family meals and social eating behaviour with depression, anxiety and stress symptoms among Spanish adolescents.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with data obtained from a representative sample of adolescents aged 12-17 years from Valle de Ricote, Murcia, Spain. Emotional symptomatology was evaluated with the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale. The frequency of family meals and social eating behaviour were self-reported.
Results: Each additional point in social eating behaviour decreased the probability of having a higher number of depressive (OR = 0.83; 95% CI, 0.75-0.92), anxiety (OR = 0.88; 95% CI, 0.80-0.97) and stress (OR = 0.90; 95% CI, 0.82-0.99) symptoms.
Conclusions: Higher social eating behaviour was associated with lower probabilities of higher number of depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms.
Keywords: Eating habits; Lifestyle; Mental health; Psychocoscial health; Teenagers; Youths.
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