Understanding how daily behaviors relate to health is important for promoting healthy aging, yet men remain understudied in behavioral and circadian research. This pilot study examined dietary behaviors and their associations with early health indicators among community-dwelling middle-aged and older men in southern Taiwan. A total of 72 men were recruited, and 65 with complete data (aged 45–78 years; 45–54: n=17, 55–64: n=28, ≥65: n=20) completed structured dietary questionnaires and wore wrist actigraphy for seven days. We analyzed age-stratified associations between eating patterns, sleep efficiency, circadian rhythm measures, activity levels, and general health.
Overall distributions of key dietary behaviors were similar across groups: night snacking (66%), home cooking ≥4 times/week (60%), and eating out ≥3 times/week (32%). However, age-specific associations emerged. In the 55–64 group, men with night-snack habits showed lower sleep efficiency, with an average reduction of about 7–8% compared with those without the habit (p < 0.05), along with reduced interdaily stability. Those who cooked more often also reported fewer chronic conditions. Among men aged ≥65, night snacking and eating out were linked to higher activity counts and differences in rhythm amplitude. In the 45–54 group, greater attention to fruit–vegetable intake was related to better self-rated health. These preliminary findings suggest that similar dietary behaviors may influence physiological health differently across age stages. Integrating dietary information with actigraphy-derived metrics may help identify early behavioral–circadian patterns in men. Larger samples and longitudinal designs are needed to clarify these differences and inform targeted health promotion strategies.

Authors:
Ching-Ju Chiu, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan
Chun-Hao Chen, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan
I-Ju Lai, I-Shou University, Taiwan
Yi-Chen Lee, E-Da Hospital, Taiwan
Hsiao-Han Tang, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Chun-Hao Chen is a master’s student in gerontology at National Cheng Kung University. His interests include aging, nutrition, and circadian rhythms. His current project investigates diet and circadian health in older adults.

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