Prevalence of Night Eating Syndrome and its relationship with depressive symptoms among medical students at Babylon University: a cross-sectional study

Aim To assess the prevalence of Night Eating Syndrome and examine its association with depressive symptoms among medical students at the University of Babylon, Iraq. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out at the College of Medicine, University of Babylon, from May 21 to June 21, 2025. A total of 359 medical students took part in the study by completing a self-administered questionnaire composed of three sections: sociodemographic characteristics, the Night Eating Diagnostic Questionnaire, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 to assess depressive symptoms (screening tool). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Statistical significance was set at p less than or equal to 0.05. Results The mean age of students was 20.94 ± 1.67 years. Most of them (63.5%) had a normal body mass index (BMI), while 6.7% were obese. Full-syndrome Night Eating Syndrome was identified in 3.9% of students. Regarding depressive symptoms severity, 12.8% of participants exhibited moderate depressive symptoms, 6.1% had moderately severe depressive symptoms, and 5.8% had severe depressive symptoms. Night Eating Syndrome was significantly associated with depressive symptoms, male sex, smoking, and higher BMI ( p < 0.05). Conclusion Night Eating Syndrome among medical students was relatively uncommon, yet it was significantly linked to depressive symptoms and unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. These findings highlight the need for further longitudinal research and may support consideration of screening approaches in future studies.