Chrononutrition and metabolic health in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

This article systematically reviews and meta-analyzes the association between chrononutrition—defined as the regularity of meals, meal frequency, and timing of food intake—and cardiometabolic health outcomes in children and adolescents. The findings indicate that irregular or non-daily breakfast consumption is associated with a higher risk of overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity, while a higher meal frequency (≥4 meals/day) appears to have a protective effect against overweight/obesity. Evidence regarding snacking frequency and meal timing is limited and inconsistent, with meal timing being the most understudied dimension. Overall, the current evidence is heterogeneous and primarily observational, underscoring the need for standardized definitions and well-designed prospective and intervention studies to clarify chrononutrition's role in pediatric metabolic health.