Evidence mapPaperPMID 42474402Full record

ArticleJournal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics2026

Understanding Postpartum Mothers' Perspectives of Chrononutrition Approaches: A Qualitative Study.

Elizabeth N Davis, Zena A Patel, Christie Kirchoff, Courtney M Peterson, Gareth R Dutton, Erin Contratto, Camille R Schneider-Worthington

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Elizabeth N DavisDepartment of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
Zena A PatelDepartment of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
Christie KirchoffDepartment of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
Courtney M PetersonDepartment of Nutrition Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
Gareth R DuttonDivision of General Internal Medicine & Population Science, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
Erin ContrattoDivision of General Internal Medicine & Population Science, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
Camille R Schneider-WorthingtonDivision of General Internal Medicine & Population Science, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama. Electronic address: cschneid@uab.edu.

Funding

UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC)P30DK056336 · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2000 to 2025
$6.0M
UAB Obesity Training ProgramT32DK062710 · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2004 to 2025
$774k
Use of early time-restricted eating to promote weight loss and improve cardiometabolic health in postpartum womenK23HD108345 · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2025 to 2025
$124k
NICHD NIH HHS K23 HD108345NIDDK NIH HHS P30 DK056336NIDDK NIH HHS T32 DK062710
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPostpartum weight retention (PPWR) is common and associated with poor health outcomes. Traditional weight management approaches have limited success postpartum. Due to infant-related sleep disruptions, late-night eating may be more common postpartum and contribute to PPWR. Chrononutrition interventions, which align energy intake with circadian rhythms in metabolism, demonstrate promise for weight loss in nonpostpartum populations and offer a novel approach to preventing PPWR. However, no studies have explored whether chrononutrition approaches may be acceptable postpartum, which is needed to inform which approaches may warrant subsequent testing.

objectiveTo characterize perceived determinants of eating timing and understand the feasibility of following various chrononutrition approaches among postpartum mothers.

designA qualitative descriptive study using semistructured interviews to query participants about the following chrononutrition approaches, which they also ranked from most to least preferred: bedtime stopping rule (no energy intake within a certain number of hours of bedtime); king's breakfast, pauper's dinner (distributing kilocalories so intake is highest at breakfast and lowest at dinner), and time-restricted eating (shortening the daily eating window to ≤10 hours). PARTICIPANTS/

settingMothers (N = 10) within 6 months postdelivery recruited from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital and interviewed between August and December 2023. ANALYSIS: Interviews were coded through an iterative process using an exhaustive approach.

resultsThemes influencing eating habits included infant schedule and availability of childcare/home assistance. Barriers to chrononutrition approaches included the importance of the evening family meal and enjoying relaxing and eating after children went to bed. Participants most preferred the bedtime stopping rule and were willing to stop eating a median of 2 hours before bedtime.

conclusionsThis study provides novel insights into mothers' perceptions of implementing various chrononutrition approaches, highlighting the importance of external barriers (eg, partner work schedule). Findings can inform the development of novel chrononutrition interventions to manage PPWR.

Indexed as

ChrononutritionLate-night eatingMothersPostpartumQualitative

Identifiers

PMID42474402
PMCPMC13390781

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.