The association between chronotype, food craving and weight gain in pregnant women

Abstract

Background: This cross-sectional study investigated the association between chronotype, food craving and weight gain in pregnant women.

Methods: In total, 245 pregnant women attending the public health service in Brazil were included. Chronotype was derived from the time of mid-sleep time on free days, with a further correction for calculated sleep debt, and higher scores on this variable indicate a tendency to eveningness. A Food Craving Questionnaire Trait and State assessment was performed, and weight gain was calculated. Generalised linear models were used to determine the association between the variables under analysis.

Results: Evening types presented higher anticipation of relief from negative states and feelings as a result of eating as a usual behaviour compared to morning (P = 0.013) and non-evening types (P = 0.028); less intense desire to eat as a sporadic behaviour compared to morning (P = 0.012) and non-evening types (P = 0.009); and less anticipation of positive reinforcement that may result from eating as a sporadic behaviour than non-evening types (P = 0.022). We also found a significant association between chronotype score and anticipation of relief from negative states and feelings as a result of eating (P = 0.004); anticipation of positive reinforcement that may result from eating (P = 0.013) as a usual behaviour; weight gain during the early gestational period (P = 0.024); and intense desire to eat (P = 0.045) as a sporadic behaviour.

Conclusions: We conclude that evening chronotype was associated with the food craving trait. Pregnant women who tend to eveningness are more likely to gain weight in the early gestational period.

Keywords: chronotype; eveningness; food craving; pregnancy; weight gain.