Tendency Toward Eveningness Is Associated With Unhealthy Dietary Habits

Abstract

Subjects with higher preference for evening hours in daily activities (eveningness) have been repeatedly shown to practice adverse health behaviors as compared to those preferring morning hours (morningness). However, associations between chronotype and dietary intake have not been explored intensively. The authors explored whether the human chronotype is associated with food and nutrient intakes in a random sample of the population aged 25 to 74 yrs. The cross-sectional study included 4493 subjects from the National FINRISK 2007 Study. Chronotype was assessed using a shortened version of Horne and Östberg's Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire. Diet was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Associations between morningness-eveningness (ME) score and dietary intakes were analyzed by linear regression and difference between lowest (eveningness) and highest (morningness) ME score quintiles by Tukey's test. In the multivariable model, intakes of whole grain, rye, potatoes, and vegetables and roots decreased, whereas those of wine and chocolate increased with lower ME scores. Participants in the lowest ME score quintile consumed less fish (p < .001) and fruits (p = .025) and more chocolate (p = .001) and soft drinks (p = .015) compared to the highest quintile. No linear association was found between ME score and total energy intake. In regression analyses, intake of alcohol (as a percentage of total energy intake; E%) and sucrose (E%) increased, whereas intake of carbohydrates (E%), protein (E%), fiber, folic acid, and sodium decreased with lower ME scores. Furthermore, participants in the lowest ME score quintile ingested more fat (E%) (p < .001) and less vitamin D (p < .001) compared to the highest quintile, even though no linear trend between ME score and these nutrients emerged. In conclusion, these results support existing evidence that individuals with circadian preference toward eveningness have less healthy lifestyles, such as unfavorable dietary habits, than those with tendency toward morningness, which could put them at higher risk of several chronic diseases.

Evening Chronotype Is Associated With Metabolic Disorders and Body Composition in Middle-Aged Adults

“…From a behavior standpoint, less exercise and more smoking were associated with late chronotype in this study, in agreement with previous results (26,33). Evening type is associated with lower dietary restraint, less healthful dietary habits, and a tendency for a higher BMI (34,35). Taken together, these unhealthy behavior patterns might lead to the metabolic dysregulation in evening types.…”

Circadian disruption: New clinical perspective of disease pathology and basis for chronotherapeutic intervention

“…The consequential effects of the combination of rotating SW and ALAN are of considerable concern. ALAN, particularly its blue-violet (λ of 446-484 nm) spectrum, can induce CD in adults and children of the general population due to: (i) direct effects on both clock gene expression of the master biological pacemaker and pineal gland-derived melatonin synthesis, and (ii) indirect effects when acting as a facilitator of healthcompromising nocturnal behaviors, such as (a) latenight bedtimes with societal mandated early morning awakenings that result in an abnormally shortened sleep and altered melatonin and other circadian rhythms, and (b) enhanced nocturnal (late evening/ before bedtime) appetite and food consumption, generally of poor nutrient quality, that is especially prominent in evening chronotypes (Arora & Taheri, 2015;Culnan et al, 2013;Kanerva et al, 2012).…”

Development And Evaluation of A Sleep Education Program in Middle School Pupils Based on Self-Determination Theory

“…Future studies should implement a more extensive school intervention in an earlier grade (5 th grade) before the pubertal drift to eveningness around the age of 12-13 years ) occurs. Future studies should focus on motivating students to maintain these changes over time using several resources such as: promoting activities in the daytime, regular dinner times, light control using dawn simulators (Thorn et al, 2004;Giménez et al, 2010;Fromm et al, 2011), explaining the impact of caffeine, alcohol, cigarettes and sweets (Kanerva et al, 2012) and of electronic screen media use before bedtime on sleep (Vollmer et al, 2012), introducing relaxing sleep rituals, a dark and quiet bedroom and consistent bedtimes, avoidance of long naps, and offering sleep education sessions for parents (Kryger et al, 2000;Cain et al, 2011) because parental monitoring of bedtimes during the week exerts a significant influence on morningness-eveningness . Since changes in behaviour are hard to achieve in general and especially with a school intervention, we recommend later school start times for older pupils (cf.…”