Table 2.

Main findings of studies reviewed: A) Studies in which results differed between sexes; B) Studies in which sex was not specified.

A) STUDY IN WHICH RESULTS DIFFERED BETWEEN SEXES	OUTCOMES MEASURED	MAIN FINDINGS
		FEMALES	MALES
Franko et al,15 2008	Disordered eating behaviour, body image concern, and substance use	There was a statistically significant inverse association between FMF and bulimia symptoms, body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, and cigarette smoking FMF was not significantly associated with extreme weight-control behaviour nor with alcohol consumption	NA
Neumark-Sztainer et al,19 2004	Disordered eating behaviour	There was a statistically significant inverse association between FMF and extreme and less extreme weight-control behaviour and chronic dieting FMF was not significantly associated with binge eating	There was a statistically significant inverse association between FMF and extreme and less extreme weight-control behaviour (this relationship with less extreme weight-control behaviour was only present after adjusting for BMI and sociodemographic factors) FMF was not significantly associated with binge eating nor with chronic dieting
Fisher et al,30 2007	Substance use	There was a statistically significant inverse association between FMF and alcohol initiation (ie, girls who ate a family meal every day were 50% less likely to initiate alcohol use than those who ate a family meal some days or never)	FMF was not significantly associated with alcohol initiation
Haines et al,32 2010	Disordered eating behaviour	There was a statistically significant inverse association between FMF and purging, binge eating, and chronic dieting	There was a statistically significant inverse association between FMF and binge eating and FMF and chronic dieting FMF was not significantly associated with purging
Sen,34 2010	Substance use and violent behaviour	There was a statistically significant inverse association between FMF and smoking, marijuana use, alcohol use, and physical violence	There was a statistically significant inverse association between FMF and smoking, marijuana use, alcohol use, and physical violence
Neumark-Sztainer et al,38 2008	Disordered eating behaviour	There was a statistically significant inverse association between FMF and extreme and less extreme weight-control behaviour, binge eating, and chronic dieting	FMF was not significantly associated with extreme weight-control behaviour, binge eating, or chronic dieting FMF was statistically significantly associated with an increased likelihood of less extreme weight-control behaviour (ie, skipping meals and eating very little food)
Eisenberg et al,36 2004	Self-esteem, academic achievement, depressive symptoms or suicidality, and substance use	There was a statistically significant inverse association between FMF and low self-esteem, a low grade point average, high depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, cigarette use, marijuana use, and alcohol use	There was a statistically significant inverse association between FMF and a low grade point average, high depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts, cigarette use, marijuana use, and alcohol use FMF was not significantly associated with low self-esteem
Neumark-Sztainer et al,39 2007	Disordered eating behaviour	FMF was statistically significantly associated with extreme weight-control behaviour and binge eating	FMF was not significantly associated with extreme weight- control behaviour nor with binge eating
Eisenberg et al,40 2008	Substance use	There was a statistically significant inverse association between FMF and cigarette, marijuana, and alcohol use	FMF was not significantly associated with cigarette, marijuana, and alcohol use

B) STUDY IN WHICH SEX WAS NOT SPECIFIED	OUTCOMES MEASURED	MAIN FINDINGS
White and Halliwell,16 2010	Substance use	There was a statistically significant inverse association between FMF and tobacco smoking and alcohol use
Fulkerson et al,18 2006	Disordered eating behaviour, depressive symptoms or suicidality, self-esteem, academic achievement, substance use, and violent behaviour	There was a statistically significant inverse association between FMF and purging, binge eating, depression or suicide risk, alcohol use, drug use, tobacco use, and violent behaviour FMF was statistically significantly positively associated with increased self-esteem and increased commitment to learning
Woodruff and Hanning,35 2009	Disordered eating behaviour, body image concern, and self-efficacy	No association was found between FMF and dieting There was a statistically significant inverse association between FMF and skipping meals (specifically breakfast) and with concern about high body weight FMF was statistically significantly positively associated with increased self-efficacy for healthy eating both at home with family and at social events with friends
Fulkerson et al,33 2009	Disordered eating behaviour, depressive symptoms, and substance use	There was a statistically significant inverse association between FMF and skipping a meal (specifically breakfast) and depressive symptoms FMF was not significantly associated with extreme and less extreme weight-control behaviour, nor with cigarette, marijuana, alcohol, or illicit drug use
Sierra-Baigrie et al,37 2008	Disordered eating behaviour	FMF was not significantly associated with binge eating

BMI—body mass index, FMF—family meal frequency, NA—not applicable.