Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension score is associated with depressive symptoms among Chinese adults: a cross-sectional study
8 affiliations
- 1Department of Nutrition, First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, China
- 2Medical Affairs Office, First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, China
- 3Operating Room, First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, China
- 4Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, China
- 5Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Qinhuangdao, China
- 6Department of General Practice, First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, China
- 7Department of Nutrition, Qinglong Manchu Autonomous County Hospital, Qinhuangdao, China
- 8Department of Nephrology, First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, China
Abstract
Background: The relationship between diet and depressive symptoms is increasingly recognized. However, studies of the association between the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and depressive symptoms are limited, and data from Chinese adults are lacking.
Objective: The goal of this study was to explore the association between the DASH score and depressive symptoms in Chinese adults and to analyze the dose-response relationship and threshold effect.
Methods: A total of 3,465 adults were enrolled in this study. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, and then the DASH score was calculated. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. Subsequently, multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between DASH score and depressive symptoms. Restricted cubic spline and two-piecewise logistic regression models were applied to explore dose-response relationships and threshold effect.
Results: Logistic regression analysis showed a significant negative association between the DASH score and depressive symptoms (p for trend = 0.045), which remained stable across different adjusted models. A significant non-linear dose-response relationship was observed (p for non-linearity = 0.001). An exploratory inflection point was identified at a DASH score of 4.124 (95% CI: 2.050–6.450) in this cross-sectional sample. Below this value, a higher DASH score was associated with lower odds of depressive symptoms (OR = 0.397, 95% CI: 0.261–0.605, p < 0.001); above this value, the association was not significant.
Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to identify a significant inverse association between the DASH score and depressive symptoms in Chinese adults.
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BibTeX
@article{li2026dietary,
title = {{Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension score is associated with depressive symptoms among Chinese adults: a cross-sectional study}},
author = {Ping Li and Yue Li and Yanru Zhao and Xinna Fan and Li Liu and Ru Zhang and Tingting Gong and Jiarong Zhang and Xiumei Li and Cuirong Li and Longye Zhang},
journal = {Frontiers in Nutrition},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fnut.2026.1913667},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2026.1913667},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension score is associated with depressive symptoms among Chinese adults: a cross-sectional study
AU - Ping Li
AU - Yue Li
AU - Yanru Zhao
AU - Xinna Fan
AU - Li Liu
AU - Ru Zhang
AU - Tingting Gong
AU - Jiarong Zhang
AU - Xiumei Li
AU - Cuirong Li
AU - Longye Zhang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
JO - Frontiers in Nutrition
DO - 10.3389/fnut.2026.1913667
UR - https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2026.1913667
AB - Background: The relationship between diet and depressive symptoms is increasingly recognized. However, studies of the association between the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and depressive symptoms are limited, and data from Chinese adults are lacking. Objective: The goal of this study was to explore the association between the DASH score and depressive symptoms in Chinese adults and to analyze the dose-response relationship and threshold effect. Methods: A total of 3,465 adults were enrolled in this study. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, and then the DASH score was calculated. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. Subsequently, multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between DASH score and depressive symptoms. Restricted cubic spline and two-piecewise logistic regression models were applied to explore dose-response relationships and threshold effect. Results: Logistic regression analysis showed a significant negative association between the DASH score and depressive symptoms (p for trend = 0.045), which remained stable across different adjusted models. A significant non-linear dose-response relationship was observed (p for non-linearity = 0.001). An exploratory inflection point was identified at a DASH score of 4.124 (95% CI: 2.050–6.450) in this cross-sectional sample. Below this value, a higher DASH score was associated with lower odds of depressive symptoms (OR = 0.397, 95% CI: 0.261–0.605, p < 0.001); above this value, the association was not significant. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to identify a significant inverse association between the DASH score and depressive symptoms in Chinese adults.
SN - 2296-861X
ER -