Is chronotype associated with dietary intake and weight gain during pregnancy? A prospective and longitudinal study

• Published in: Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) Los Angeles County, Calif.), 2022-02, Vol.94, p.111530-111530, Article 111530
• Main Authors: Balieiro, Laura Cristina Tibiletti, Gontijo, Cristiana Araújo, Marot, Luisa Pereira, Teixeira, Gabriela Pereira, Fahmy, Walid Makin, Maia, Yara Cristina de Paiva, Crispim, Cibele Aparecida
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adequacy; Body weight gain; Carbohydrates; Chrononutrition; Chronotype; Diet; Dietary intake; Eating; Eating behavior; Energy consumption; Energy distribution; Energy Intake; Ethics; Female; Fetuses; Food; Food intake; Fruits; Gestational weight gain; Humans; Interviews; Longitudinal Studies; Meal timing; Meals; Milk; Morning; Nutrition research; Nutritional status; Pregnancy; Pregnant women; Prospective Studies; Sleep; Software; Time of energy intake; Weight Gain; Womens health
• ISSN: 0899-9007; 1873-1244
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2021.111530

•Evening pregnant women eat breakfast later and have higher energy and carbohydrate intakes at dinner than morning pregnant women.•Evening pregnant women present a worse pattern of gestational weight gain in the third trimester of pregnancy.•Morning pregnant women show a better diet quality, with higher intake of milk and dairy in addition to lower intake of saturated fat.•Considering chrononutrition variables in the prenatal nutritional guidelines is important for the promotion of maternal and fetal health. The effects of chronotype on dietary intake and weight gain during pregnancy have not been addressed in the literature. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of chronotype on eating patterns, energy, and macronutrient intake and distribution, as well as weight gain during pregnancy. This was a prospective cohort study carried out with 100 pregnant women in the first, second, and third gestational trimesters. Dietary intake was assessed by three 24-h dietary recalls in each trimester, totaling nine recalls. Energy and macronutrient intake and distribution were evaluated at meals throughout the day. Chronotype was derived from midsleep time on free days, and the scores obtained were categorized into tertiles. Recommendations from the Institute of Medicine were used to assess the adequacy of weight gain. Generalized estimating equation models were used to determine the effects of chronotype and gestational trimester on eating patterns, daily energy, macronutrient distribution, and weight gain. Pregnant women with values for midsleep time on free days indicative of eveningness have breakfast later and also have higher energy and carbohydrate intake at dinner than “morning” women. Pregnant “morning” women showed better diet quality in terms of milk and dairy and saturated fat. Also, despite the tendency for all tertiles to gain excess weight during pregnancy, we found that pregnant women with a tendency to eveningness had worse adequacy of gestational weight gain in the third trimester than “morning” women (2.24 ± 0.25 versus 1.22 ± 0.14, P < 0.001). Pregnant women with a tendency to eveningness consume breakfast later in the day and exhibit greater consumption of energy and carbohydrates in the evening, as well as a worse standard of gestational weight gain in the third trimester. Our results emphasize the importance of considering chrononutrition variables in prenatal nutritional guidelines to promote maternal and fetal health.