Chronotype, temporal eating patterns, and sleep behaviors among physically active university students: A...

Chronotype and meal timing are associated with sleep, yet their joint relationships remain understudied in physically active university students. This study investigated associations among chronotype, caloric intake timing, and sleep characteristics and hypothesized that later first and last caloric intake would independently predict lower Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) scores. This single-university cross-sectional study included 200 students aged 18-25 years who had exercised ≥3 days/week and ≥150 min/week for the preceding six months. Chronotype, sleep behavior, sleep characteristics, and dietary intake timing were assessed using the MEQ, Athlete Sleep Behavior Questionnaire, three-day sleep diary, and three-day food record, respectively. Multiple linear regression evaluated continuous MEQ score as the primary outcome; group comparisons and correlations were secondary or exploratory. A dummy-coded model tested the robustness of the meal-timing results. Later first and last caloric intake were independently associated with lower MEQ scores (β = -0.435 and -0.422, respectively; both p < 0.001), and the model explained 51.1% of the variance. The sensitivity analysis showed the same graded pattern. Evening-type participants had poorer sleep behaviors, longer sleep latency, lower sleep efficiency, more nocturnal awakenings, poorer subjective sleep quality, and later caloric intake than morning-type participants (all p < 0.001). Total energy and macronutrient intake were unrelated to the evaluated sleep outcomes. Later caloric intake timing was independently associated with greater eveningness, while evening chronotype co-occurred with less favorable sleep characteristics. Given the cross-sectional design, causality and temporal direction cannot be inferred.