The Night Eating Questionnaire through the lens of the Rasch model.

Previous research focused on the conventional approaches to test psychometric characteristics of the Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ). The purpose of this research was to examine the psychometric properties of the Night Eating Questionnaire using the Rasch model in a sample of university students. The study was carried out from November 2018 to March 2019 on 300 students in health sciences at the University of Pristina temporarily seated in Kosovska Mitrovica, who completed the NEQ. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) suggested that the Serbian version mirrored the original NEQ structure: Goodness of fit index = 0.978, Comparative fit index = 0.996, Tucker-Lewis index = 0.995, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.011 and Standardized Root Mean Square Residual = 0.057. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total scale was 0.627. The Rasch analysis showed that the item separation index classified the items into six groups based on their level of difficulty. The person reliability index separated well night eaters from day eaters. Few items did not fit the adequate range for the infit/outfit statistics. Overall, there were several groups of NEQ items that have a distinctive difficulty level, but the difference was not a remarkable one. This means that most students did not have night eating syndrome (NES), despite various levels of item difficulty. The NEQ performs well in the efforts to distinguish people who eat and do not eat at night. Most students reported conventional eating patterns and only a few had NES. The properties of the NEQ warrant its use in further night eating research.

Night eating syndrome among university students: are aspects of academic life associated with eating disorders? / Síndrome do comer noturno entre estudantes universitários: aspectos da vida acadêmica estariam associados ao distúrbio alimentar?

Introduction: the critical period in the lives of college adults implies lifestyle changes such as reducing physical activity and adopting unhealthy eating habits that can result in increased body fat. Thus, college students may represent a population at increased risk for Night Eating Syndrome. Objective: to analyze aspects of university students' academic life, work and housing that could be associated with Night Eating Syndrome. Methods: cross-sectional study carried out with 900 students from Architecture, Engineering, Medicine and Psychology courses at a higher education institution located in Cajazeiras, Paraíba, Brazil. Self-administered questionnaires were used for data collection: the Night Eating instrument Questionnaire (NEQ) to quantify Night Eating Syndrome (NCS) behaviors and a form for variables on demographic, health, academic life, work and housing aspects. Results: the prevalence of NES determined by the NEQ≥25 score was 16.8%. In the Engineering course, the prevalence of SCN was higher in women than in men, and in the Psychology course, it was higher in men than in women. Among students with a job and who lived at home, the prevalence of the syndrome was higher for those who worked in the afternoon and lower for those who worked at night. Conclusion: the prevalence of NES found among Brazilian university students was high (16.8%), particularly in two situations: (1) being enrolled in an undergraduate course with a predominance of students of the other sex; and (2) live with parents and work in the afternoon. These observations may be helpful in identifying subpopulations of students at increased risk for eating disorders.

Introdução: o período crítico da vida de adultos universitários implica mudanças do estilo de vida como a diminuição da atividade física e a adoção de hábitos alimentares pouco saudáveis que podem resultar em aumento da gordura corporal. Assim, estudantes universitários podem representar uma população com risco aumentado para a Síndrome do Comer Noturno. Objetivo: analisar aspectos da vida acadêmica, do trabalho e da moradia de estudantes universitários que poderiam se associar à Síndrome do Comer Noturno. Método: estudo transversal realizado com 900 estudantes dos cursos de Arquitetura, Engenharia, Medicina e Psicologia de uma instituição de ensino superior localizada em Cajazeiras, Paraíba, Brasil. Para a coleta de dados foram usados questionários autoaplicados: o instrumento Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ) para quantificar comportamentos da Síndrome do Comer Noturno (SCN) e um formulário para variáveis sobre aspectos demográficos, de saúde, vida acadêmica, trabalho e moradia. Resultados: a prevalência da SCN determinada pelo escore NEQ≥25 foi 16,8%. No curso de Engenharia a prevalência da SCN foi maior nas mulheres em relação aos homens, e no curso de Psicologia, foi maior nos homens em relação as mulheres. Entre os estudantes com emprego e que moravam na casa dos pais, a prevalência da síndrome foi maior para aqueles que trabalham no período da tarde e menor para aqueles que trabalham à noite. Conclusão: a prevalência da SCN encontrada entre os estudantes universitários brasileiros foi alta (16,8%), particularmente em duas situações: (1) estar matriculado um curso de graduação com predominância de estudantes do outro sexo; e (2) morar com os pais e trabalhar no período da tarde. Estas observações podem ser úteis na identificação de subpopulações de estudantes com risco aumentado de distúrbios de alimentação

A Review of the Relationship between Night Eating Syndrome and Body Mass Index.

PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW: To review literature on night eating syndrome (NES) and body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) published in the last 5 years. RECENT FINDINGS: Since December, 2013, 11 studies examined the association between NES and BMI. Five of these studies reported a positive relationship, five showed no relationship, and one produced mixed findings. Emotional eating and age were moderators. Twelve studies examined whether there was a difference in BMI between those with and without NES with only five of these finding differences. A primary weakness of the recent literature base is that it is almost entirely cross-sectional. Recent findings regarding the relationship between NES and BMI are mixed. Future research should examine the relationship between these variables longitudinally and continue to examine moderating variables that explain why some individuals manifest excess weight with NES and others do not.

Psychometric properties and gender invariance of the simplified Chinese version of Night Eating Questionnaire in a large sample of mainland Chinese college students.

PURPOSE: The Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ) is the most frequently used instrument for assessing night eating syndrome (NES), and it has been translated to many languages, including a traditional Chinese version in Taiwan. However, significant differences exist in the social, linguistic, and cultural contexts between mainland China and Taiwan. For its use in mainland China, a simplified Chinese version is needed and its psychometric properties should be further evaluated. Thus, the current study aimed to obtain a simplified Chinese NEQ (SC-NEQ) and validate its psychometric properties. METHODS: According to standard procedures, the SC-NEQ was obtained by language transformation from the traditional Chinese version of NEQ. The SC-NEQ was then administered to 1273 mainland Chinese college students recruited from three provinces in mainland China. RESULTS: The four-factor structure of the original English NEQ (morning anorexia, evening hyperphagia, mood/sleep, and nocturnal ingestions) was confirmed in the current sample. Moreover, a second-order model also fitted the data well. The SC-NEQ showed good reliability with a Cronbach's alpha and omega of 0.70 and 0.83, respectively. The total score of the SC-NEQ was significantly and moderately correlated with eating pathology (r = .35, p < .01). Strong measurement invariance across gender groups was also supported. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the SC-NEQ can be a useful tool to assess NES in mainland China. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: V, descriptive (cross-sectional) study.

Preliminary Validation of the Italian Night Eating Questionnaire (I-NEQ-16): Item Analysis and Factor Structure.

Night eating syndrome (NES) severity is usually assessed with the Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ). Although the most common version of the NEQ is composed of 14 items (NEQ-14), two additional items measuring distress associated with the night eating have been proposed, but they have never been included in past psychometric studies. The aim of the present study was to create an Italian version of the NEQ-16 (I-NEQ-16), with the inclusion of the proposed items for assessing the distress associated with night eating. A major objective of the study was to propose a unidimensional version of the I-NEQ-16 and investigate its psychometric properties. 482 Italian adults (380 women and 102 men; mean age = 25.5, SD = 10.9 years old) were administered the Italian versions of the NEQ, the Night Eating Diagnostic Questionnaire (NEDQ), and questionnaires measuring binge eating, emotional and external eating, diurnal chronotype, insomnia, and anxiety and depression severity. In order to improve the unidimensionality of the I-NEQ-16, we removed from further analyses items 1, 4, and 7, because they increased the heterogeneity of the measure. Confirmatory factor analysis, indicated the fit of a modified one-factor model, allowing correlated errors between three pairs of items. I-NEQ-16 scores were significantly associated with all concurrent questionnaire scores and were able to categorize individuals according to their diagnosis of NES according to the NEDQ. Thus, the I-NEQ-16 is a valid measure that is potentially useful for investigating correlates of night eating in the general population.

Effects of bariatric surgery on night eating and depressive symptoms: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Night eating syndrome (NES) is characterized by a delayed pattern of food intake and is clinically defined by the presence of evening hyperphagia, nocturnal ingestion, morning anorexia, and sleep problems. Although most studies report an association of obesity, depressive mood, and NES, very little is known about the impact of bariatric surgery in the course of this syndrome, particularly in patients with depressive symptoms. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of bariatric surgery on night eating and depressive symptoms. SETTING: Tertiary hospital, Brazil. METHODS: Sixty patients consecutively submitted to bariatric surgery were included in the study. Baseline depressive symptoms were assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory-Short Form (BDI-SF) and night eating by the Night Eating Questionnaire. Measurements were repeated postoperatively for comparison. RESULTS: Participants were predominantly female (M/F = 9/51). Mean (±SD) age was 34.7±9.2 years and body mass index was 46.04±7.52 kg/m². On average, BDI-SF scores improved after bariatric surgery (9.77±7.01 versus 4.70±4.60; P = .001). Patients with baseline depressive symptoms (BDI-SF>4), in contrast to those without, showed a significant improvement in Night Eating Questionnaire scores (16.03±7.73 versus 12.80±7.76; P = .01), despite a similar postoperative reduction in weight. CONCLUSION: Bariatric surgery is associated with a reduction in depressive symptoms. After the surgical intervention, improvement of night eating can be observed predominantly in patients with preoperative depressive symptoms. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis of an important role of mood problems in NES.

Psychometric characteristics of the Night Eating Questionnaire in a Middle East population.

OBJECTIVE: To translate and validate the Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ) into Arabic and to describe the distribution of night eating in an Egyptian sample. METHOD: The NEQ was translated into Arabic and administered to 420 university students in Cairo, Egypt. Reliability, validity, and clinical cut-scores were generated for the Arabic NEQ. Distribution and demographic information were examined. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha for the Arabic NEQ was 0.54. A first order confirmatory factor analysis yielded five factors: 1: Nocturnal Ingestions, Factor 2: Evening Hyperphagia, Factor 3: Morning Anorexia, Factor 4: Insomnia, and Factor 5: Mood. A total NEQ score of 26 was determined to be very high after T-score transformation. Of the students, 4.8% scored above this cut score, and no differences for total NEQ score were found for demographic variables. DISCUSSION: The Arabic NEQ generated a lower internal consistency score as compared to previous translations, but a similar factor structure. A cut score of 26 is similar to that determined significant for screening purposes in the original English version, and the proportion of those scoring above it is also similar to those of several international community samples. More research is needed to characterize night eating syndrome, its symptoms, and clinical impact in the Arabic culture.

The Psychometric Properties of Night Eating Questionnaire in Schizophrenic Outpatients / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ) as a measure of the night eating syndrome (NES) in a sample of outpatients with schizophrenia. METHODS: The behavioral and psychological symptoms of NES were assessed with the 14-item self-report questionnaire (NEQ). Body weight and height were measured to calculate the body mass index (BMI). Subjective estimates of depression, binge eating patterns, sleep quality and weight-related quality of life were evaluated using Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI), the Binge Eating Scale (BES), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Korean version of Obesity-related Quality of Life (KOQoL) Scale. RESULTS: Among 165 schizophrenic outpatients who completed the NEQ, 15 (9.1%) patients screened as having NES (total NEQ > or =25). The NEQ demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.72), and the item-total correlations (r=0.29-0.75 ; p<0.001, respectively) were acceptable, except for morning anorexia. A principal components analysis revealed five factors (nocturnal ingestions, evening hyperphagia, mood/sleep, morning anorexia, and delayed morning meal), which explained 65.7% of the total variance. Although the NEQ total score was not correlated with BMI, age at onset, duration of illness, or use of atypical antipsychotics, it was significantly correlated with total scores on the BDI, BES, PSQI and KOQoL. Test-retest reliability was also good (r=0.74, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our results showed that the NEQ appears to be an efficient, valid measure of NES in outpatients with schizophrenia.