Timing of eating across ten European countries - results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) calibration study
Open accessAbstract
Objective: To examine timing of eating across ten European countries. Design: Cross-sectional analysis of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) calibration study using standardized 24 h diet recalls collected during 1995–2000. Eleven predefined food consumption occasions were assessed during the recall interview. We present time of consumption of meals and snacks as well as the later:earlier energy intake ratio, with earlier and later intakes defined as 06.00–14.00 and 15.00–24.00 hours, respectively. Type III tests were used to examine associations of sociodemographic, lifestyle and health variables with timing of energy intake. Setting: Ten Western European countries. Subjects: In total, 22 985 women and 13 035 men aged 35–74 years (n 36 020). Results: A south–north gradient was observed for timing of eating, with later consumption of meals and snacks in Mediterranean countries compared with Central and Northern European countries. However, the energy load was reversed, with the later:earlier energy intake ratio ranging from 0·68 (France) to 1·39 (Norway) among women, and from 0·71 (Greece) to 1·35 (the Netherlands) among men. Among women, country, age, education, marital status, smoking, day of recall and season were all independently associated with timing of energy intake (all P<0·05). Among men, the corresponding variables were country, age, education, smoking, physical activity, BMI and day of recall (all P<0·05). Conclusions: We found pronounced differences in timing of eating across Europe, with later meal timetables but greater energy load earlier during the day in Mediterranean countries compared with Central and Northern European countries.
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A survey of 36,020 people in 10 countries across central/northern Europe and the Mediterranean revealed a trend for fewer eating events in Mediterranean countries, with a higher energy intake at lunch (40.0% of daily energy) compared to 20.0% in the central/northern areas.
“a survey of 36,020 people in 10 countries across central/northern Europe and the Mediterranean revealed a trend for fewer eating events in Mediterranean countries, with a higher energy intake at lunch (40.0% of daily energy) compared to 20.0% in the central/northern areas (180).”
From Meal timing and its role in obesity and associated diseases (2024) · cites this paper as [180]
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Meal timing and its role in obesity and associated diseases
Peters, B., Vahlhaus, J., & Pivovarova-Ramich, O. (2024) · Frontiers in Endocrinology · doi:10.3389/fendo.2024.1359772 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
- Authors
- Huseinovic, E., Winkvist, A., Freisling, H., Slimani, N., Boeing, H., Buckland, G., Schwingshackl, L., Olsen, A., Tjønneland, A., Stepien, M., Boutron-Ruault, M.-C., Mancini, F., Artaud, F., Kühn, T., Katzke, V., Trichopoulou, A., Naska, A., Orfanos, P., Tumino, R., Masala, G., Krogh, V., Santucci de Magistris, M., Ocké, M. C., Brustad, M., Jensen, T. E., Skeie, G., Rodríguez-Barranco, M., Huerta, J. M., Ardanaz, E., Quirós, J. R., Jakszyn, P., Sonestedt, E., Ericson, U., Wennberg, M., Key, T. J., Aune, D., Riboli, E., Weiderpass, E., & Bertéus Forslund, H.
- Affiliations
- University of Gothenburg (SE)
- Centre international de recherche sur le cancer (FR)
- German Institute of Human Nutrition (DE)
- Institut d'Investigació Biomédica de Bellvitge (ES)
- Danish Cancer Society (DK)
- Université Paris-Sud (FR)
- German Cancer Research Center (DE)
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (GR)
- Azienda Usl 8 Arezzo (IT)
- Istituto per lo Studio e la Prevenzione Oncologica (IT)
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori (IT)
- National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (NL)
- UiT The Arctic University of Norway (NO)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (ES)
- Gobierno del Principado de Asturias (ES)
- Lund University (SE)
- Umeå University (SE)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Imperial College London (GB)
- University of Helsinki (FI)
- Corresponding author
- Huseinovic, Ena
- ORCID
- Huseinovic, Ena
- Winkvist, Anna
- Freisling, Heinz
- Slimani, Nadia
- Boeing, Heiner
- Buckland, Genevieve
- Schwingshackl, Lukas
- Olsen, Anja
- Tjønneland, Anne
- Mancini, Francesca
- Artaud, Fanny
- Katzke, Verena
- Trichopoulou, Antonia
- Naska, Androniki
- Orfanos, Philippos
- Tumino, Rosario
- Masala, Giovanna
- Krogh, Vittorio
- Ocké, Marga C
- Brustad, Magritt
- Skeie, Guri
- Huerta, José María
- Quirós, José Ramón
- Jakszyn, Paula
- Sonestedt, Emily
- Ericson, Ulrika
- Wennberg, Maria
- Key, Timothy J
- Aune, Dagfinn
- Weiderpass, Elisabete
- Venue
- Public Health Nutrition
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2018-10-17
- Volume
- 22
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 324-335
- ISSN
- 1368-9800 (ISSN-L)
- 1475-2727
- OpenAlex
- W4237112983
- Cited by
- 52
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1
- FWCI
- 2.38
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Licence
- Locations
- Public Health Nutrition (publishedVersion)
- RISalud Institutional Health Repository of Andalucía (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- KTH Publication Database DiVA (KTH Royal Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Dipòsit Digital de la Universitat de Barcelona (Universitat de Barcelona) (submittedVersion, public-domain)
- Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Lund University Publications (Lund University) (submittedVersion)
- NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Rivm Repository (Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) (submittedVersion)
- Rivm (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) (submittedVersion)
- Spiral (Imperial College London) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- World Health Organization
- Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (RD06/0020)
- Wellcome Trust
- Cancer Research UK (16491)
- National Institute for Health and Care Research
- British Heart Foundation
- European Commission (RD06/0020)
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (RD06/0020)
- Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (RD06/0020)
- Ligue Contre le Cancer (RD06/0020)
- Deutsche Krebshilfe (RD06/0020)
- Institut Gustave-Roussy (RD06/0020)
- Mutuelle Générale de l'Education Nationale (RD06/0020)
- Instituto de Salud Carlos III (RD06/0020)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutritional Studies and Diet
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Dietary Effects on Health
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Keywords
- meal timing, energy intake, Mediterranean countries, sociodemographic factors, lifestyle factors, smoking, physical activity, body mass index, sex differences
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