Irregular consumption of energy intake in meals is associated with a higher cardiometabolic risk in adults of a British birth cohort

• Published in: International Journal of Obesity Vol. 38; no. 12; pp. 1518 - 1524
• Main Authors: Pot, G K, Hardy, R, Stephen, A M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.12.2014; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/443/319/1488; 692/499; 692/699/2743/393; 692/699/75; Bioenergetics; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiovascular diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases - epidemiology; Cardiovascular Diseases - prevention & control; Confidence intervals; Consumption; Coronary heart disease; Diabetes; Diaries; Diet; Diet Records; Diet Surveys; Dietary intake; Eating behavior; Energy; Energy consumption; Energy Intake; Energy metabolism; Epidemiology; Feeding Behavior; Female; Food; Food consumption; Food intake; Health aspects; Health Behavior; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Health risks; Heart; Humans; Insulin; Internal Medicine; Irregularities; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Meals; Medical research; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Medicine, Experimental; Metabolic Diseases; Metabolic disorders; Metabolic syndrome; Metabolic Syndrome - epidemiology; Metabolic Syndrome - prevention & control; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Nutrition research; Obesity; Obesity - epidemiology; Obesity - prevention & control; Observational studies; Odds Ratio; original-article; Other metabolic disorders; Physical activity; Predictive Value of Tests; Public Health; Regression analysis; Regression models; Risk analysis; Risk Factors; Socioeconomics; Statistical analysis; Surveys and Questionnaires; Time Factors; United Kingdom - epidemiology; Waist Circumference; United Kingdom; Great Britain; Europe; United Kingdom > UK; energy intake; irregularity; cardiometabolic risk; meal patterns; NSHD; Endocrinopathy; Human; Consumption; Obesity; Nutrition; Nutrition disorder; Meal; Cardiovascular disease; Metabolic diseases; Metabolic syndrome; Coronary heart disease; Association; Energy; Cohort study; Cardiovascular risk; Adult; Birth cohort; Nutritional status
• ISSN: 0307-0565; 1476-5497
• DOI: 10.1038/ijo.2014.51

Background/Objectives: A potential risk factor for cardiometabolic diseases is irregular or inconsistent eating, however, research on this topic is scarce. We aimed to study associations between irregular consumption of energy intake in meals and cardiometabolic risk factors. Subject and Methods: Dietary intake data were derived from 5-day estimated diet diaries of 1768 participants of the National Survey of Health and Development. Energy intakes during predefined meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, between meals) and daily totals were analyzed using a score for irregularity based on the deviation from the 5-day mean energy intake. Logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for having the metabolic syndrome or one of its components. Models were adjusted for sex, physical activity, socioeconomic status, marital status and smoking. Results: Irregularity scores of energy intake ranged from 0–160 and were highest for between meals. An increased risk of the metabolic syndrome was associated with more irregular energy intake during breakfast (OR=1.34 (0.99, 1.81); P trend=0.04) and between meals (OR=1.36 (1.01, 1.85); P trend=0.04). Moreover, increased waist circumference was associated with irregular energy intake during breakfast (OR=1.90 (1.47, 2.45); P trend <0.01), evening meal (OR=1.36 (1.06, 1.75); P trend=0.02) and daily total (OR=1.34 (1.04, 1.72); P trend=0.01). No significant associations were found for the other components of the metabolic syndrome. Conclusions: Individuals with a more irregular intake of energy, especially during breakfast and between meals, appeared to have an increased cardiometabolic risk.