Investigating the prevalence of probable night eating syndrome among preclinical medical students and the mediating role of impulsivity in its relationship with chronotype

The mean Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ) score among preclinical medical students was 16.31 ± 5.48, with 8.8% diagnosed with probable night eating syndrome (NES).

• A higher prevalence of probable NES may be present in preclinical medical students compared to the general population.
• Participants with probable NES exhibited elevated scores on multiple psychological and sleep-related assessments.
• There is a moderate positive association between NEQ scores and sleep quality as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and depressive symptoms measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9).
• The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and Adult ADHD Self-report Scale (ASRS-B) may mediate the relationship between NES and morningness-eveningness preferences.

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