eng Science and Education Publishing Journal of Food and Nutrition Research 2333-1240 2024-06-26 12 6 344 348 10.12691/jfnr-12-6-3 JFNR20241263 article Waad Alfawaz walfawaz@ksu.edu.sa 1 Rana W. Barri 1 Rand A. Alhjjy 1 Madawi Aldhwayan 1 Ghadeer S. Aljuraiban 1 Department of Community Health Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University Background: Night eating syndrome (NES) is a common disorder observed among not only individuals with obesity but also those with psychological disorders such as de-pression, anxiety, and stress. Identifying an association between NES and stress among young adults can aid in the prevention of obesity and other comorbidities. Objectives: To investigate the association between stress and NES among Saudi students. Methods: The cross-sectional study involved 331 healthy students aged 18 years and above from King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 item questionnaire was used to evaluate stress symptoms among the par-ticipants, while the Night Eating Questionnaire was used to assess eating patterns. Of the 331 participants, 53% exhibited symptoms of NES and 40.5% scored above the cut-off point for stress. Results: Psychological distress, including stress, and NES were significantly positively correlated (P < 0.001). The correlation coefficients for stress, anxiety, and depression were 0.413**, 0.429**, and 0.455**, respectively (P < 0.001), indicating that the levels of night eating and stress, anxiety, and depression were moderately positively correlated. Conclusion: Further research, encompassing different Saudi universities from various regions, is required to confirm the association between NES and stress. https://pubs.sciepub.com/jfnr/12/6/3/jfnr-12-6-3.pdf obesity night eating psychological distress stress weight