Maternal night-eating pattern and glucose tolerance during pregnancy: study protocol for a longitudinal study

Area of Science:

• Reproductive biology
• Metabolic health
• Chronobiology

Background:

• Day-night cycle alignment with eating improves glucose regulation in adults.
• The impact of eating timing on gestational glycaemia requires further investigation.
• Optimizing eating patterns may enhance gestational glycaemic control strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between maternal night-eating patterns and glucose tolerance in the second trimester of pregnancy.
• To investigate lifestyle factors associated with night-eating patterns during pregnancy.
• To inform gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) prevention and management.

Main Methods:

• Observational longitudinal study of 200 pregnant women (18-24 weeks' gestation).
• Data collection includes diet (food diary, FFQ), physical activity, sleep, and light exposure (accelerometer).
• Glycaemic outcomes assessed via continuous glucose monitoring and oral glucose tolerance tests; analyzed using multivariable generalized linear models.

Main Results:

• Analysis of the association between night eating (19:00-06:59) and glycaemic measures is ongoing.
• Factors associated with night-eating patterns are being identified.
• The study aims to control for potential confounders in the analysis.

Conclusions:

• Findings will elucidate the relationship between night eating and gestational glycaemia.
• Results may guide interventions for improving maternal metabolic health during pregnancy.
• This research contributes to understanding chrononutrition in pregnancy.