Relationship between chrononutrition behaviour and mental well-being among female university students

Background: Chrononutrition examines the interaction between meal timing and circadian rhythm in maintaining overall health. Students as youngsters adopt poor lifestyle habits and dietary patterns, contributing to a higher incidence of non-communicable diseases and mental health conditions. Hence, the study was undertaken to examine the relationship between chrononutrition behaviour and mental well-being among female university students. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted among 250 students in Coimbatore between December 2024 and May 2025. Baseline information, health status, 24-hour dietary recall and physical activity were collected using a structured interview schedule, anthropometric measurements were measured by following a standardised procedure. Chrononutrition behaviour, chronotype and mental health status were assessed using validated questionnaires. An awareness video on the concepts of chrononutrition was developed and presented to 62 students of neither chronotypes and evening chronotypes with mental health issues. The impact was assessed using knowledge, attitude and practice questionnaire through pre and post assessments. Results: The greater number of students belonged to the neither chronotype category and more than 50 per cent of students experienced mental health issues. The study revealed a significant correlation between chrononutrition behaviour and mental well-being. The assessment results indicated an increase in awareness on chrononutrition concepts among students. Conclusions: The study highlighted that chrononutrition behaviour affects not only the physical health but also mental health. This study suggested that aligning meal timings with the circadian rhythm may help to manage the mental health status of the students.