title: Night-eating syndrome and the severity of self-reported depressive symptoms from the Korea Nurses' Health Study: analysis of propensity score matching and ordinal regression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The prevalence of night-eating syndrome (NES) and depression is increasing worldwide. Although nurses, in particular, are exposed to work in an environment of irregular eating, shift work, and stressful settings, limited research exist. In fact, the prevalence of NES among Korean nurses has never been reported. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of NES as well as the association between NES and severity of self-reported depressive symptoms among South Korean female nurses.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Korea Nurses' Health Study, following the protocols of the Nurses' Health Study led by the Harvard University, collected data on Korean female nurses. Survey responses from 3617 participants were included, and 404 responses were analyzed in this cross-sectional study using propensity score matching.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive, Spearman's and Cramer's correlations, propensity score matching, and multivariable ordinal logistic regression were conducted as statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of both NES and self-reported depressive symptoms among Korean female nurses were higher compared with nurses in prior studies. Nurses with NES were 1.65 times more likely to have greater severity of depressive symptoms than those without NES (95% confidence interval [1.19-2.10], odds ratio = 1.65) after adjusting for covariates including sociodemographic characteristics, health behavioural factors, and shift work.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests significant association between NES and the severity of self-reported depressive symptoms among Korean female nurses after adjusting for covariates. Policy makers and hospital managers need to develop strategies to reduce depression and NES among nurses for enhancement of nurses' mental and physical health as well as for improvement of care quality.
authors.affiliation: Korean Nurses Association, Republic of Korea; College of Nursing, Ewha Womans University, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: O-S
authors.initials: OS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy and Management, College of Public Health Science, Korea University, Republic of Korea; Research Institute of Health Policy, Korean Nurses Association, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Health Policy, Korean Nurses Association, Republic of Korea; Department of Food and Nutrition, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Ewha Womans University, Republic of Korea; Research Institute of Health Policy, Korean Nurses Association, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: hjjung@koreanurse.or.kr.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D057216:Propensity Score; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D057566:Self Report; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Depression; Eating disorder; Korea Nurses' Health Study; Mental health; Nurses' Health Study; Women's health