Association of Meal Irregularity and Chronotypes with Dietary and Sleep Patterns: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: The circadian clock is a homeostatic regulation system comprising clock genes in the body that regulate various physiological and behavioural processes. Diet determines our health and the timing and periodicity of feeding, in addition to nutritional quality, influence circadian rhythms and metabolism significantly. Aim: To assess the association of meal irregularity and chronotypes with dietary and sleep patterns. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 375 female adults using the convenience sampling method. Information on socio-demographic characteristics, dietary patterns, sleep patterns, chronotypes, and physical activity was collected through a self-administered questionnaire consisting of 26 questions. Participants aged 18-40 years and who completed the study questionnaire were enrolled. Pregnant or lactating mothers and users of tranquilisers and psychotropic drugs were excluded. T-tests and one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used for continuous variables, and the Chisquare test was used for categorical variables. Results: A total of 197 (52.5%) participants reported consuming their meals at a regular time every day, while 178 (47.5%) did not. Concerning eating meals at a regular time every day, a significant association was found between eating meals at a regular time every day and the number of meals per day (Chi-squared, p-value<0.001). The data indicated that most participants were of the intermediate type (190, 50.7%), followed by the morning type (111, 29.6%), and then the evening type (74, 19.7%). Regarding the Morning-Evening Questionnaire (MEQ), there were significant associations between MEQ and the time of the last meal (Chi-squared, p-value=0.001), eating a meal after 9 pm (Chi-squared, p-value<0.001), and the need for a nap in the middle of the day (Chi-squared, p-value<0.001). Conclusion: The present study suggests that the regular timing of eating is associated with the number of meals per day. Dietary and sleep patterns, including the time of the last meal, eating a meal after 9 pm, and the need for a nap in the middle of the day, were also associated with chronotype.