Assessment of Night Eating Syndrome and its relationship with sleep, circadian rhythm and mood among college going students in Western Rajasthan: A Cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: Night Eating Syndrome is an eating disorder characterized by excessive evening or nighttime food intake, often accompanied by poor sleep, delayed circadian rhythms, and low mood. First described by Stunkard et al., now classified under DSM-5 as “other specified feeding or eating disorder.” Globally, prevalence ranges from 3-15%,while Indian studies show higher rates 54% in Punjab and 37.3% in Tamil Nadu. This study aimed to assess NES prevalence among college students in Jodhpur and its association with sleep,circadian rhythm,and mood, also identifying predictors.

Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 673 college students from seven colleges under Jai Narain Vyas University, selected through multistage sampling. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire comprising the Night Eating Questionnaire and SCRAM scale. Statistical analyses in SPSS v23 included chi-square, Mann–Whitney U, Spearman’s correlation, and logistic regression.

Results: NES prevalence was 15.9%. Significant associations were seen with academic stream (p = 0.015), with higher rates among Commerce and Arts students. NES correlated with poor sleep quality, lower morningness, and higher depressive mood (all p < 0.001). Logistic regression revealed that poor sleep (AOR = 0.947, p = 0.035), lower morningness (AOR = 0.927, p = 0.008), and elevated depressive mood (AOR = 1.074, p = 0.004) were significant predictors of NES.

Conclusion: NES was prevalent among college students in Jodhpur and linked to poor sleep and low mood, highlighting the need for awareness, mental health support, and sleep-friendly academic schedules.

Keywords: Circadian rhythm, College students, Night Eating Syndrome, Prevalence, Sleep disturbance.