Published Paper Details:

Background: Night Eating Syndrome (NES) is a chrono-behavioral eating disorder characterized by a delayed circadian pattern of food intake, evening hyperphagia, and nocturnal ingestions. Despite its growing clinical relevance, NES remains under-diagnosed among urban young adults, particularly within the Indian context where lifestyle factors such as irregular sleep schedules, academic stress and 24-hour food availability are increasingly prevalent. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 young adults (100 males, 100 females). Data collection included anthropometric measurements, the Night Eating Diagnostic Questionnaire (NEDQ), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and 3-day 24-hour dietary recall. Participants were classified into four NEDQ categories. Statistical analyses included Chi-square tests, independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc correction, and Pearson's correlation. Results: NES was highly prevalent, with 67% of participants exhibiting night eating behaviors and 24% meeting Full NES criteria. Increasing NEDQ severity was significantly associated with higher BMI (p=0.023), poorer sleep quality (p<0.001), and elevated perceived stress (p<0.001). Sleep quality and perceived stress were strongly correlated (r=0.520, p<0.001). Total energy and macronutrient intake did not differ significantly across categories; however, iron intake was significantly higher (p<0.001) and calcium intake significantly lower (p=0.007) in NES-positive groups. Conclusion: NES is prevalent among urban Indian young adults and is significantly linked to poor sleep, elevated stress, and qualitative dietary disturbances, reinforcing its conceptualization as a circadian disorder within a stress-sleep-eating triad. Integrated multidisciplinary interventions addressing dietary timing, sleep hygiene, and stress management are warranted.