A scoping review of chronotype and temporal patterns of eating of adults: tools used, findings, and future directions

Abstract

Circadian rhythms, metabolic processes, and dietary intake are inextricably linked. Timing of food intake is a modifiable temporal cue for the circadian system and may be influenced by numerous factors, including individual chronotype—an indicator of an individual’s circadian rhythm in relation to the light-dark cycle. This scoping review examines temporal patterns of eating across chronotypes and assesses tools that have been used to collect data on temporal patterns of eating and chronotype. A systematic search identified thirty-six studies in which aspects of temporal patterns of eating including meal timings; meal skipping; energy distribution across the day; meal frequency; time interval between meals, or meals and wake/sleep times; midpoint of food/energy intake; meal regularity; and duration of eating window were presented in relation to chronotype. Findings indicate that compared to morning chronotypes, evening chronotypes tend to skip meals more frequently, have later mealtimes, and distribute greater energy intake towards later times of the day. More studies should explore the difference in meal regularity and duration of eating window amongst chronotypes. Currently, tools used in collecting data on chronotype and temporal patterns of eating are varied, limiting the direct comparison of findings between studies. Development of a standardised assessment tool will allow future studies to confidently compare findings to inform the development and assessment of guidelines that provide recommendations on temporal patterns of eating for optimal health.

Content Validation of a Chrononutrition Questionnaire for the General and Shift Work Populations: A Delphi Study

“…Chrononutrition is receiving increasing attention as an important factor to consider when developing strategies to improve cardiometabolic health in shift workers. Previous research [26] and expert consensus from the current study indicate that chrononutrition measurement needs to include not only times at which food is consumed, but also information about amount consumed (e.g., main meals versus snacks), regularity of meals, and duration and timing of the eating window. Current methods that would capture this complexity, e.g., time-stamped food diaries, are burdensome.…”

“…The first phase of tool development is item development, consisting of: (i) domain identification and item generation and (ii) establishing content validity [25]. Domain identification and item selection was the subject of a recent scoping review, which evaluated the impact of chronotype on temporal patterns of eating whilst simultaneously identifying and assessing the strengths and limitations of existing tools used for data collection [26]. Our scoping review found inconsistencies between studies with relation to using validated dietary tools and an inability to capture all aspects of temporal meal patterns and its relation to chronotype [26].…”

“…Domain identification and item selection was the subject of a recent scoping review, which evaluated the impact of chronotype on temporal patterns of eating whilst simultaneously identifying and assessing the strengths and limitations of existing tools used for data collection [26]. Our scoping review found inconsistencies between studies with relation to using validated dietary tools and an inability to capture all aspects of temporal meal patterns and its relation to chronotype [26]. As such, a single standardised and validated tool to capture these outcomes of interest, ensuring consistency in data interpretation in future studies, is required.…”

A Time to Rest, a Time to Dine: Sleep, Time-Restricted Eating, and Cardiometabolic Health

“…Thus far, chronotypes in relation to the timing of eating and cardiometabolic outcomes have only been assessed in young adults [ 130 ]. Given that a mismatch between chronotype and sleep timing can lead to circadian disruption and is a risk factor for CVD [ 6 , 131 , 132 ], this is worthy of attention. Furthermore, given that chronotypes can be an indicator of biological timing [ 129 ], an effort to use TRE to minimise circadian misalignment would need to do so relative to a person’s body clock rather than to the absolute clock time.…”

The Effect of Personality on Chrononutrition during the COVID-19 Lockdown in Qatar

“…Although it is a fairly new tool, CP-Q is a concise and thorough measurement of chrononutrition [53]. It is easily administered with little instruction, and its validity and reliability have been tested [53,54]. The questionnaire consists of 18 items (open-ended and multiple-choice options) designed to assess both chrononutrition behaviors and preferences during an average week (on typical work/school and free/weekday days).…”