Even though mounting data on dietary intake and food patterns exist, not much is available on the association between eating behaviors such as meal frequency, skipping and intervals, and mortality. Recent research published in the ‘Journal of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ examined the associations of meal frequency, skipping, and intervals with all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality.

The prospective study included a total of 24,011 adults (aged ≥40 years) who participated in the national health and nutrition examination Survey 1999-2014. Eating behaviors were assessed using 24-hour recall. Death and underlying causes of death were ascertained by linkage to death records. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of all-cause and CVD mortality. Most participants ate three meals per day. Compared with participants eating three meals per day, the multivariable-adjusted HRs for participants eating one meal per day were 1.30 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.64) for all-cause mortality, and 1.83 (95% CI 1.26 to 2.65) for CVD mortality. Participants who skipped breakfast have multivariable-adjusted HRs 1.40 (95% CI 1.09 to 1.78) for CVD mortality compared with those who did not. The multivariable-adjusted HRs for all-cause mortality were 1.12 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.24) for skipping lunch and 1.16 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.32) for skipping dinner compared with those who did not.

The study concluded that in adults aged 40 years or older, eating one meal per day was associated with an increased risk of all-cause and CVD mortality. Skipping breakfast was associated with an increased risk of CVD mortality, whereas skipping lunch or dinner was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality.