According to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Minnesota, middle-school girls who share regular meals with their families are less likely to resort to substance abuse. Interestingly, boys did not seem to experience the same effects of having the whole family present at the dinner table.

1. Study Shows Protective Benefits of Family Meals is Stronger on
Girls
A good way to keep your daughter from using drugs or alcohol is to have the whole family eat
together.
According to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Minnesota, middle-
school girls who share regular meals with their families are less likely to resort to substance
abuse. Interestingly, boys did not seem to experience the same effects of having the whole family
present at the dinner table.
The survey consisted of 800 subjects, all of
which are middle-schoolchildren from the
state. According to the results of the study,
girls of this age who ate with their families at
least five times in a week exhibited a lesser
tendency for using alcohol, tobacco or
marijuana after five years. This protective
effect was also manifested in girls who feel
that they don’t have a good relationship with
their parents. Family presence provided the
protective effect regardless of how healthy
their relationships were.
“That connection with caring adults is the most
protective factor for kids,” says David Walsh,
head of the National Institute on Media and the Family. This is an important aspect of child
development and is in fact, more essential than income or religion. He goes on to say that the
connection can be effectively built through family meals.
The researchers were surprised to find, however, that the same protective effect was not
experienced by the boys who were part of the study. According to Marla Eisenberg, lead author
of the study, the differences in the results between the male and female group may probably be
attributed to the fact that how boys relate to their families is a lot different from girls. Females
are more apt to pick up subtle signals of affection and other messages from their home. Males,
on the other hand, tend to miss out on these things.
The research is the latest of a series of studies that are aimed to re-introduce dinner hour in the
United States. After all, family meals offer an opportunity for parents to check in on their
children and be updated with what has been going on in their lives. Eisenberg goes on to say that
“This is where they see where their kids are at, if they are veering on the risky side.”

2. Here at the Pacific Hills Treatment Centers, we strive to re-introduce family values to our
clients to help them acquire more effective support mechanisms for their problems instead of
resorting to substance abuse.
For more information on drug Rehab visit Pacific Hills Treatment Centers for more inquiries
you can call us to our helpline number 866.536.7158