SKIPPING BREAKFAST AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH NIGHT EATING SYNDROME AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN BAGHDAD: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Breakfast is an important meal, especially for teens and young adults, because it dramatically impacts their health, mental abilities, and schoolwork. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of breakfast skipping and examine its association with Night Eating Syndrome (NES) among university students in Baghdad. A cross-sectional study with 300 students from a private university in Baghdad was conducted using non-probability convenience sampling. Data was collected between December 10, 2024, and January 10, 2025. The study used self-administered questionnaires distributed to students, including the Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ).  The data suggest that 68% of students usually skip breakfast, and about 23% have night-eating syndrome. The main reason participants reported for skipping is not wanting to eat (70.1%). There was an association between skipping breakfast and gender (P = 0.007) and income (P = 0.05). Also, students who were overweight or obese were more likely to skip breakfast (P = 0.048). No statistically significant association was found between skipping breakfast and night-eating syndrome (P = 0.907). In conclusion, the study showed that skipping breakfast was prevalent among private university students in Baghdad. Still, there was no association between skipping breakfast and Night Eating Syndrome. Health education interventions may be needed to promote regular breakfast consumption and mitigate potential adverse health outcomes.