Comparison of eating timing metrics between a web-based dietary record and a dietitian-led interview
Abstract
Background: Eating timing metrics are increasingly linked to chronic disease outcomes. However, the ability of web-based dietary records to capture these metrics in largescale studies has not been evaluated. Therefore, we aimed to assess agreement of eating timing metrics between the web-based 24-hr dietary record of the French NutriNet-Santé e-cohort, and an interview-based 24-hr recall.
Methods: In 2009, participants (N = 139, mean age=60.9±5.9y) completed a web-based record on a pre-arranged date, followed the next day by a dietitian-led phone interview using the same web interface to conduct a 24-hr recall. We computed the timing of the first and last eating occasions, the number of eating occasions, and the timing of the caloric midpoint. Agreement was assessed using the: (1) Wilcoxon signed-rank test, (2) intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), and (3) Spearman’s rank correlation, in the full sample and stratified by sex, age, body mass index, educational level, and computer knowledge.
Results: Agreement between the two methods was high for the timing of the first and last eating occasions (Wilcoxon P ≥ 0.53; ICCs = 0.85-0.90; Spearman’s correlation coefficients = 0.86-0.95). For the number of eating occasions, agreement was moderate, but acceptable; fewer eating occasions were reported in the web-based record than in the interview-based recall (mean difference = -0.36; Wilcoxon P < 0.001), and the ICC and Spearman’s correlation coefficient were 0.72 and 0.70, respectively. Agreement for the caloric midpoint was similar (Wilcoxon P = 0.68; ICC = 0.65; Spearman’s correlation coefficient = 0.68). Stratified analyses showed higher agreements for the number of eating occasions and caloric midpoint among women and adults aged <60 years.
Conclusions: Eating timing metrics showed good to excellent agreement between a web-based 24-hr dietary record and an interview-based 24-hr recall. The NutriNet-Santé dietary records are an effective tool for assessing eating timing.
Key messages: • A web-based dietary record showed good agreement with an interview-based recall for eating timing metrics.
• Web-based 24-hr dietary records are effective tools to assess eating timing in largescale populations.
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BibTeX
@article{guyonnet2026comparison,
title = {{Comparison of eating timing metrics between a web-based dietary record and a dietitian-led interview}},
author = {E Guyonnet and E Obeid and V Desplats and S Péneau and C Julia and A Bellicha and E Kesse-Guyot and S Hercberg and M Touvier and B Srour},
journal = {The European Journal of Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1315},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1315},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Comparison of eating timing metrics between a web-based dietary record and a dietitian-led interview
AU - E Guyonnet
AU - E Obeid
AU - V Desplats
AU - S Péneau
AU - C Julia
AU - A Bellicha
AU - E Kesse-Guyot
AU - S Hercberg
AU - M Touvier
AU - B Srour
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - The European Journal of Public Health
DO - 10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1315
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.1315
AB - Background: Eating timing metrics are increasingly linked to chronic disease outcomes. However, the ability of web-based dietary records to capture these metrics in largescale studies has not been evaluated. Therefore, we aimed to assess agreement of eating timing metrics between the web-based 24-hr dietary record of the French NutriNet-Santé e-cohort, and an interview-based 24-hr recall. Methods: In 2009, participants (N = 139, mean age=60.9±5.9y) completed a web-based record on a pre-arranged date, followed the next day by a dietitian-led phone interview using the same web interface to conduct a 24-hr recall. We computed the timing of the first and last eating occasions, the number of eating occasions, and the timing of the caloric midpoint. Agreement was assessed using the: (1) Wilcoxon signed-rank test, (2) intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), and (3) Spearman’s rank correlation, in the full sample and stratified by sex, age, body mass index, educational level, and computer knowledge. Results: Agreement between the two methods was high for the timing of the first and last eating occasions (Wilcoxon P ≥ 0.53; ICCs = 0.85-0.90; Spearman’s correlation coefficients = 0.86-0.95). For the number of eating occasions, agreement was moderate, but acceptable; fewer eating occasions were reported in the web-based record than in the interview-based recall (mean difference = -0.36; Wilcoxon P < 0.001), and the ICC and Spearman’s correlation coefficient were 0.72 and 0.70, respectively. Agreement for the caloric midpoint was similar (Wilcoxon P = 0.68; ICC = 0.65; Spearman’s correlation coefficient = 0.68). Stratified analyses showed higher agreements for the number of eating occasions and caloric midpoint among women and adults aged <60 years. Conclusions: Eating timing metrics showed good to excellent agreement between a web-based 24-hr dietary record and an interview-based 24-hr recall. The NutriNet-Santé dietary records are an effective tool for assessing eating timing. Key messages: • A web-based dietary record showed good agreement with an interview-based recall for eating timing metrics. • Web-based 24-hr dietary records are effective tools to assess eating timing in largescale populations.
SN - 1101-1262
SN - 1464-360X
ER -