Body Mass Index mediates the associations between dietary approaches to stop hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea among U.S. adults

BackgroundThe Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) are associated with reduced cardiovascular, diabetes risk, but the effect on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is uncertain.MethodsThis study used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). DASH score was assessed through 24-h dietary recall interviews, and OSA diagnosis in individuals was based on predefined criteria. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between DASH and OSA. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis was used to investigate the dose–response relationship between DASH score and OSA risk. And comprehensive subgroup and mediation analyses were performed.ResultsAmong the 14,978 participants, 27.01% had OSA. DASH scores had a negative association with the risk of OSA (OR = 0.91, 95%CI: 0.88–0.95, p