Investigating the association between night eating symptoms and chronotype: the mediating role of depressive symptoms in a sample of Italian university students

PurposeThis study aimed to understand the relationship between night eating symptoms, chronotype, and depressive symptoms among Italian university students.MethodsThe study assessed 905 students using self-report questionnaires, including the night eating questionnaire (NEQ), the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), and the Beck depression Inventory (BDI). The correlation between variables was analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis, and mediation analysis was conducted using SPSS PROCESS Macro to estimate the association between variables.ResultsAmong the students' sample, the mean age was 25.54 years, with an age range between 18 and 35, 68.7% were women, 15% were morning types with MEQ scores of 59 and above, 64.8% were intermediate types with MEQ scores between 42 and 58, 20.3% were evening types with MEQ scores of 41 and below, and 3.6% reached the criteria for night eating syndrome (NES). There was an inverse correlation between MEQ and BDI scores, higher BDI and lower MEQ scores, and a significant inverse correlation between NEQ and MEQ scores, higher NEQ and lower MEQ scores. Individuals with higher NEQ scores had higher BDI scores, indicating a significant positive correlation between night eating symptoms and depressive symptoms. MEQ had a statistically significant negative direct effect on BDI and NEQ variables. The direct impact of BDI on NEQ was positive and statistically significant. The indirect negative effect of MEQ on NEQ through BDI was also determined to be statistically significant.ConclusionThe study found that depressive symptoms played a significant mediating role in the link between eveningness and night eating, with a partial mediation. Evening chronotype was associated with an elevated night eating score. The findings emphasize the importance of chronotherapeutic approaches in treating night eating. However, further research is necessary to elucidate the intricate relationship between these variables.Level of evidenceLevel III. Evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytic studies.