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Later eating timing is associated with lower diet quality in preschool children, with chronotype as an effect modifier

In 656 Finnish preschool children, longer morning latency, later eating midpoint, and later last eating occasion were associated with lower diet quality scores. Chronotype-stratified analyses showed that longer evening latency was inversely associated with diet quality only in early chronotypes, while later eating midpoint and last eating occasion were inversely associated in intermediate and late chronotypes, but not early.

Last updated: Aug 26, 2026โ€ข0 RCTsโ€ข๐Ÿ“– Read as article โ†’

Evidence Score

Evidence Score34/100
Human RCTโ˜†โ˜†โ˜†โ˜†โ˜†
Meta-analysisโ˜†โ˜†โ˜†โ˜†โ˜†
Mechanismโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…
Safetyโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†
Confidencelow

Study Evidence

Study 1. Chrononutrition and Diet Quality in Preschool Children: An Association Shaped by Chronotype.

observational

Tillman I, Lehto R, Maukonen M, Rahkola J, Ray C, Roos E, Ruokolahti AM, Schultz J, Serasinghe N, Vepsäläinen H, Erkkola M ยท The Journal of nutrition (2026)

Participants: N/A
Duration: Not specified (cross-sectional survey 2015-2016)
Intervention: Observational assessment of chrononutrition variables (morning latency, evening latency, eating midpoint, last eating occasion) derived from 3-day food records and 7-day actigraphy
Outcome: Diet quality assessed by Healthy Food Intake Index score
Effect Size: ฮฒ = -0.34 to -2.47 depending on variable and chronotype subgroup
Population: 656 Finnish children aged 3-6 years from the DAGIS Survey 2015-2016

Result:

PubMed: 42580593DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2026.101780

Mechanism Graph

Later eating timing may disrupt circadian alignment of metabolic processes
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Chronotype influences individual susceptibility to timing effects
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Early chronotypes may be more sensitive to evening eating, while intermediate/late chronotypes are more sensitive to overall later timing
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Result: Lower diet quality scores associated with later eating patterns

Limitations

  • โš Cross-sectional design prevents causal inference
  • โš Diet quality assessed via food frequency questionnaire, which may be subject to recall bias
  • โš Chronotype categorization based on actigraphy-derived midpoint of sleep may not capture full circadian phenotype
  • โš Potential residual confounding from unmeasured factors (e.g., family routines, screen time)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is chrononutrition?โ–ผ

Chrononutrition refers to the timing, frequency, and regularity of food intake relative to circadian rhythms, and how these patterns affect health outcomes.

How was chronotype measured in this study?โ–ผ

Chronotype was estimated as the midpoint of sleep corrected for sleep debt, using 7-day actigraphy data. Children were categorized into early (earliest 10%), intermediate (middle 80%), and late (latest 10%) chronotypes.

Which chrononutrition variables were associated with lower diet quality?โ–ผ

Longer morning latency (time between waking and first eating), later eating midpoint, and later last eating occasion were associated with lower diet quality in the whole sample. Evening latency was associated only in early chronotypes.

Did the association differ by chronotype?โ–ผ

Yes. Longer evening latency was inversely associated with diet quality only in early chronotypes. Later eating midpoint and last eating occasion were inversely associated in intermediate and late chronotypes, but not in early chronotypes.

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References

  1. 1.Tillman I, Lehto R, Maukonen M, Rahkola J, Ray C, Roos E, Ruokolahti AM, Schultz J, Serasinghe N, Vepsäläinen H, Erkkola M. "Chrononutrition and Diet Quality in Preschool Children: An Association Shaped by Chronotype.." The Journal of nutrition, 2026. PMID: 42580593 DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2026.101780
Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Evidence scores reflect the quality and quantity of available research, not clinical recommendations. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any supplement or intervention.