Meal-timing patterns and chronic disease prevalence in two representative Austrian studies.

Area of Science:

• Chrononutrition
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Meal timing influences health outcomes, including sleep and chronic disease risk.
• Understanding meal patterns is crucial for public health interventions, especially during societal changes like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe meal-timing patterns in Austria using cluster analysis.
• To investigate the association between meal-timing clusters and health outcomes (sleep, chronic diseases) before and during COVID-19 mitigation measures.

Main Methods:

• Two cross-sectional surveys in Austria (2017, N=1004; 2020, N=1010).
• Calculated meal timing variables: main meal times, fasting interval, last-meal-to-bed time, breakfast skipping, eating midpoint.
• Cluster analysis identified meal-timing patterns; logistic regression assessed associations with health status.

Main Results:

• Median weekday meal times: breakfast 7:30, lunch 12:30, dinner 18:30; 25% skipped breakfast; median 3 eating occasions.
• Two meal-timing clusters identified in each survey (A: shorter fasting, earlier midpoint; B: longer fasting, later mealtimes, more breakfast skippers).
• Cluster B was associated with higher prevalence of chronic insomnia, depression, obesity, and self-rated bad health status.

Conclusions:

• Austrian adults exhibit long fasting intervals and low eating frequency, with patterns largely unchanged by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Specific meal-timing patterns, particularly those with longer fasting and later eating, are linked to adverse health outcomes.
• Future chrono-nutrition research should consider behavioral patterns alongside individual meal-timing characteristics.