Research
Shared Family Mealtimes: Catalogue and Connect
Overview | Research Team | Publications | Funding Partners | Contact
Project Overview
Research suggests that regular, shared family mealtimes can boost children’s health and wellbeing, reduce risk of obesity, improve nutrient intake, and promote language development and academic achievement. The Family Resiliency Center’s Shared Family Mealtimes project aims to understand the economic, cultural, environmental and family level factors that can lead to increasing the frequency and quality of family mealtimes.
Catalogue and Connect will identify community-based organizations, programs, resources and policies that impact the ability of families to have regular shared family meals. Investigators will develop a cataloguing system, meet with community leaders, identify efforts and initiatives related to family meals, conduct a community needs assessment, and map community assets in an effort to increase understanding of the issues and challenges faced by families who wish to eat together on a regular basis.
Overview | Research Team | Publications | Funding Partners | Contact
Research Team
- Barbara H. Fiese, PhD, Professor and Director, Family Resiliency Center
- Brenda Koester, MS, Coordinator, Family Resiliency Center
- Suzanne Dooley, Graduate Research Assistant
Overview | Research Team | Publications | Funding Partners | Contact
Funding Partners
- Campus Community Interface Initiatives, Office of Public Engagement, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Contact Information
Brenda Koester
Email: bkoester@illinois.edu
Telephone: 217-244-6486
