Exploring the Relationship between Chronotype and Waist Circumference: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Understanding the relationship between chronotype and waist circumference (WC) has implications for metabolic health management. The present article overviews the available literature, the knowledge gaps, and the insights for future research. We conducted a search on the Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed electronic databases and followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews. A total of 33 articles were included in the review. The studies primarily identified that people with the evening chronotype presented a higher mean WC compared to those with the morning chronotype. However, the difference was not significant in all studies. A significant positive correlation of the WC with chronotype scores denoting eveningness was found in 88% of the studies. The cut-off values on the scales to categorize subjects into different chronotypes may need to be defined for communities living across the globe. We conclude that higher WC values are associated with eveningness. However, this finding should be validated using objective measures of chronotype assessment.

Keywords

chronotype - obesity - abdominal - waist circumference

Authors' Contributions

SB, SJ, and PD: conception and design of the study, analysis and/or interpretation of data; drafting the article or critical review for important intellectual content; final approval of the version to be published; and agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work by ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 15. April 2024

Angenommen: 17. Oktober 2024

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
12. Juni 2025

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