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Sex-specific association between later circadian timing of food intake and adiposity among Chinese young adults living in real-world settings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 November 2024

Yan Huang Open the ORCID record for Yan Huang [Opens in a new window] ,
Yu-xiang Xu ,
Yu-ting Shen ,
Yi Zhou ,
Yu-hui Wan ,
Fang-biao Tao  and
Ying Sun
Yan Huang
Affiliation:
Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
Yu-xiang Xu
Affiliation:
Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
Yu-ting Shen
Affiliation:
Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
Yi Zhou
Affiliation:
Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
Yu-hui Wan
Affiliation:
Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Hefei, Anhui, China Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health across the Life Course, Anhui Medical University, Anhui, China
Fang-biao Tao
Affiliation:
Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Hefei, Anhui, China Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health across the Life Course, Anhui Medical University, Anhui, China Center for Big Data and Population Health of IHM, Anhui Medical University, Anhui, China
Ying Sun*
Affiliation:
Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China MOE Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Hefei, Anhui, China Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health across the Life Course, Anhui Medical University, Anhui, China Center for Big Data and Population Health of IHM, Anhui Medical University, Anhui, China
*
*Corresponding author: Ying Sun, email [email protected]
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Abstract

Timing of food intake is an emerging aspect of nutrition; however, there is a lack of research accurately assessing food timing in the context of the circadian system. The study aimed to investigate the relation between food timing relative to clock time and endogenous circadian timing with adiposity and further explore sex differences in these associations among 151 young adults aged 18–25 years. Participants wore wrist actigraphy and documented sleep and food schedules in real time for 7 consecutive days. Circadian timing was determined by dim-light melatonin onset (DLMO). The duration between last eating occasion and DLMO (last EO-DLMO) was used to calculate the circadian timing of food intake. Adiposity was assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Of the 151 participants, 133 were included in the statistical analysis finally. The results demonstrated that associations of adiposity with food timing relative to circadian timing rather than clock time among young adults living in real-world settings. Sex-stratified analyses revealed that associations between last EO-DLMO and adiposity were significant in females but not males. For females, each hour increase in last EO-DLMO was associated with higher BMI by 0·51 kg/m2 (P = 0·01), higher percent body fat by 1·05 % (P = 0·007), higher fat mass by 0·99 kg (P = 0·01) and higher visceral fat area by 4·75 cm2 (P = 0·02), whereas non-significant associations were present among males. The findings highlight the importance of considering the timing of food intake relative to endogenous circadian timing instead of only as clock time.

Keywords

Chrono-nutritionCircadian rhythmFood timingAdiposityYoung adults
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 132 , Issue 12 , 28 December 2024 , pp. 1629 - 1636
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society

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Footnotes

†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

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