Publication: The association between sleep quality, body mass index (BMI), and night eating syndrome (NES) among undergraduate students in Universiti Sains Malaysia
Date
2026
Authors
Salim, Nur Alia Maisarah
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Abstract
This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Night Eating Syndrome (NES) and examine its association with sleep quality and Body Mass Index (BMI) among undergraduate students at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). A cross-sectional study was conducted among 196 undergraduate students from the School of Health Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, and School of Dental Sciences at the USM Health Campus, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire comprising sociodemographic information, the Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and selfreported weight and height for BMI calculation. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the data, while Chi-square and Fisher's Exact tests were used to determine associations between variables. The prevalence of NES among respondents was 13.3%, while 63.8% of students reported poor sleep quality. Most respondents had normal BMI. A significant association was found between NES and sleep quality, with students who had NES being more likely to experience poor sleep quality (χ² = 13.603, p < 0.001). However, no significant association was observed between NES and BMI categories (Fisher's Exact Test, p = 0.313). In conclusion, NES was significantly associated with sleep quality but not with BMI categories among undergraduate students in this study. These findings highlight the importance of early screening for NES and the promotion of healthy sleep habits among university students. The findings may also assist university health services in developing targeted interventions to improve students' eating behaviours and sleep quality.
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