The Effect of Chronotype on Addictive Eating Behavior and BMI among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of chronotype on addictive eating behavior and BMI in university students. A questionnaire on their sociodemographic characteristics and eating habits, as well as the three-factor eating questionnaire (TFEQ) and the morningness-eveningness questionnair...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Müge Arslan, Nurcan Yabancı Ayhan, Hatice Çolak, Esra Tansu Sarıyer, Ekin Çevik
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-07-01
Series:Nutrients
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/14/2907
Description
Summary:The aim of this study was to examine the effect of chronotype on addictive eating behavior and BMI in university students. A questionnaire on their sociodemographic characteristics and eating habits, as well as the three-factor eating questionnaire (TFEQ) and the morningness-eveningness questionnaire (MEQ), were given to students at Üsküdar University. Data were analyzed with IBM SPSS 26.0. This study included a total of 850 students, 46.8% of whom were male and 53.2% were female. The mean BMI was 22.94 ± 3.30 kg/m<sup>2</sup>. As the BMI values of students increased, there was a decrease of 25.6% in the TFEQ scores, regardless of gender (s = −0.256; <i>p</i> < 0.001), and an increase of 10.6% in their chronotype scores, meaning that the students tended to be morning types (s = 0.106; <i>p</i> < 0.01). A significantly negative, very weak correlation was found between the students’ TFEQ and MEQ scores (s = −0.123; <i>p</i> < 0.001). The students’ BMI (<i>p</i> < 0.01) and TFEQ scores (<i>p</i> < 0.001) were affected by their MEQ scores in a statistically significant way. It was found that each 1-point increase in the MEQ score led to a 4.0% increase in the BMI score and a 15.8% decrease in the TFEQ score. It was observed that the morning-type students tended to be obese in terms of their BMI, and these students demonstrated fewer addictive eating behaviors.
ISSN:2072-6643