Background: Night eating syndrome (NES) is a common type of eating disorders in obese patients. This study was motivated by the paucity of studies on the prevalence and associated factors of NES among primary care patients with obesity in Egypt. Objectives: To assess the prevalence and the associated factors of NES among obese adults attending in primary health care (PHC) settings in Port Said governorate.

Methods: A cross-sectional study included 386 adult obese patients from 5 PHC settings in Port Said governorate affiliated with the General Authority of Healthcare. The data was collected from November 2020 to March 2021. Demographic characteristics, disease profile and measurement were collected in addition to the Arabic versions of the following tools: the Night Eating Syndrome Questionnaire (NEQ), the Patient Health Questionnaire 4 (PHQ-4), and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI).

Results: Symptoms of NES were presented among 22.02% of the participants, using cut-off point ≥25 of the NES questionnaire. Symptoms of NES were associated with psychological distress symptoms (OR 2.85, p=0.001), high level of education (OR 2.33, p=0.046), insomnia symptoms (OR 2.22, p=0.017), and physical inactivity (OR 2.18, p=0.005). Symptoms of NES were not associated with other demographic factors, smoking, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, or comorbidities.

Conclusion: Symptoms of NES are prevalent among obese PHC patients with phycological distress, highly education, insomnia, and sedentary lifestyle. Assessment of NES is needed during caring of obese PHC patients.

Keywords: Eating disorder, Obesity, Psychological distress