Night eating syndrome in young adult women: prevalence and correlates.
OBJECTIVE
The current study examined the prevalence and clinical significance of night eating syndrome (NES) in a community cohort of Black and White women.


METHODS
We assessed 682 Black and 659 White women for NES, eating disorders, and psychiatric symptomatology.


RESULTS
The prevalence was 1.6% (22 of 1,341; Blacks [n = 20]; Whites [n = 2]). Comparisons between identified Black women and the remaining Black participants revealed no significant differences in obesity, psychiatric comorbidity, or self-reported psychiatric distress. Comorbidity with eating disorders as outlined in the 4th ed. of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association) was low (n = 1 [4.5%]). Black NES women were significantly less likely than Black non-NES women to be overweight and significantly more likely to have two or more children.


CONCLUSIONS
NES was rare in this sample of young women. Low comorbidity of NES with other eating disorders suggests that NES may be distinct from the DSM-IV recognized eating disorders. Longitudinal data are needed to determine the long-term health implications of this behavioral pattern.
Striegel-Moore
Ruth H
RH
Department of Psychology, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, USA. rstriegel@wesleyan.edu
Dohm
Faith-Anne
FA
Hook
Julie M
JM
Schreiber
George B
GB
Crawford
Patricia B
PB
Daniels
Stephen R
SR
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015897:Comorbidity; D020920:Dyssomnias / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data