Association of Overnight Fasting Duration and Meal Frequency with Glucose and Lipid Metabolism During Pregnancy: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background/Objectives: Glucose and lipid metabolism during pregnancy are crucial for perinatal outcomes. Recently, chrono-nutritional factors have been partially identified as influencing pregnancy metabolism. This study aimed to investigate overnight fasting duration and meal frequency during pregnancy and to clarify their associations with glucose and lipid metabolism. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at a university hospital in Tokyo, Japan, between February 2020 and June 2021. A self-administered questionnaire was used to evaluate overnight fasting duration and meal frequency in 144 pregnant women in their second trimester. Nutrient intake was assessed using the brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire. Non-fasting blood samples were collected and analyzed for levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and glycated albumin. Results: The mean +/- standard deviation of overnight fasting duration was 12.1 +/- 1.5 h, meal frequency was 3.8 +/- 0.9 times per day, and glycated albumin level was 13.3 +/- 1.0%. Multivariate analysis revealed that a longer overnight fasting duration was significantly associated with lower glycated albumin levels (beta = -0.167, p = 0.030). Conclusions: These findings suggest that, in addition to meal content and quantity, overnight fasting may be effective in appropriately managing glycated albumin levels during the second trimester of pregnancy.