Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40088328›Full record

ArticleEating and weight disorders : EWD2025

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

Giulia Riccobono, Tommaso Barlattani, Valentina Socci, Edoardo Trebbi, Angela Iannitelli, Assunta Pompili, Francesca Pacitti

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Article in Eating and weight disorders : EWD, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Giulia RiccobonoDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy.
Tommaso BarlattaniDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy.
Valentina SocciDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy. valentinasocci@gmail.com.
Edoardo TrebbiDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, "La Sapienza" University of Rome, 00100, Rome, Italy.
Angela IannitelliDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy.
Assunta PompiliDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy.
Francesca PacittiDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

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 EVIDENCE: Level III. Evidence obtained from well-designed cohort or case-control analytic studies.

Indexed as

Circadian RhythmDepressionFeeding BehaviorNight Eating SyndromeStudentsAdolescentAdultChronotypeFemaleHumansItalyMaleSurveys and QuestionnairesUniversitiesYoung AdultChronotypeDepressionEveningnessNESNight eating symptomsNight eating syndrome

Identifiers

PMID40088328
PMCPMC11910444

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.