Dietary self-monitoring in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Self-monitoring of food intake is a cornerstone of behavioral weight loss interventions, but its use has not been evaluated in the treatment of obese patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This pilot study described patterns of adherence to dietary self-monitoring in obese patients with OSA and determined associations between self-monitoring and weight loss, psychosocial functioning, and adherence to continuous positive airway pressure treatment. Participants completed a 6-week behavioral weight loss intervention focused on dietary self-monitoring. Approximately one-third of participants were adherent to self-monitoring throughout the course of the intervention and experienced more weight loss than those who did not self-monitor regularly. More frequent dietary self-monitoring also appeared to be associated with adherence to other health behaviors. These preliminary data suggest that use of dietary self-monitoring may be beneficial for promoting weight loss and adherence to other important health behaviors in OSA patients.