Perceived stress as a mediator between chronotype and eating disorder symptoms among college students: Cross-sectional and prospective analyses

A total of 7,892 college students participated in surveys examining the link between chronotype, perceived stress, and eating disorder symptoms.

• Higher perceived stress at Time 1 was found to partially mediate the relationship between chronotype and eating disorder symptoms at the same time point.
• Chronotype at Time 1 predicted eating disorder symptoms at Time 3 through perceived stress at Time 2.
• The analyses accounted for demographic factors and insomnia symptoms, suggesting the robustness of the findings.
• Results indicate that perceived stress may serve as a significant mediator in the relationship between chronotype and eating disorder symptoms.

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