According to a 2005 study by the National Center of Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, frequent family dinners were associated with lower rates of teen smoking, drinking, and drug use. Compared with teens who frequently had dinner with their families, (five nights or more per week), those who had dinner with their families only two nights per week or less were twice as likely to be involved in substance abuse. They were 2.5 times as likely to smoke cigarettes, more than 1.5 times as likely to drink alcohol, and nearly three times as likely to try marijuana.
Source: The National Center of Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, The Importance of Family Dinners II, (: September 2005)
(HT: FamilyFacts.org)
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Need to be skeptical of these types of reports, because of the chicken/egg syndrome. Is it that families who get together for dinner often are less likely to engage in these behaviors? Or is it that people who are unlikely to engage in those behaviors are more likely to get together for dinner?
My guess is that we have correlation without causation here.
posted on 03.02.2007 4:03 PM2
While as a statistics teacher, I applaud observations about correlation vs. causation.
HOWEVER, tgirsch, doesn't common sense tell us that there is some causation at play here? I mean really, you want to deny that parents spending quality time with their children isn't going to be helpful? Really?
jared
posted on 03.02.2007 11:55 PM3
Pure post hoc ergo propter hoc. Totally stupid study.
Obviously, as everyone's Grandma knows, strong families are good things. Scientists not required to determine that fact.
posted on 03.04.2007 1:58 PM