Assessing Diet Quality of a Type 2 Diabetes Sample Using the Healthy Eating Index 2005

The purpose of this cross sectional study was to evaluate the diet quality of a sample of individuals with type 2 diabetes using the Healthy Eating Index 2005 (HEI 2005) and to determine differences in total and component scores among clinical and demographic characteristics.

Subjects from clinics at a large, urban medical center completed three to four 24-hour recalls and a demographics questionnaire.

Each item in the food recall was analyzed using food analysis software and converted to MyPyramid servings to create HEI 2005 scores.

The mean HEI 2005 score of the sample was 56.3 (n=99).

Adults over age 60 had a significantly higher total HEI 2005 score than adults age 40--60 (60.1 vs. 54.0, respectively, p<.05). Individuals with a BMI less than or equal to 30 had a significantly higher total score than individuals with a BMI greater than 30 (61.7 vs. 55.3, p<0.01). Significant negative correlations (p<0.05) were found between BMI and SoFAAS (r=-.2) and total HEI 2005 (r=-.2), and education and Whole Grains (rho=-.2).

There were significant negative correlations between food security score and Total Vegetables (rho=-.2, p<.05), Dark Green and Orange Vegetables and Legumes (rho-.2, p<.05), and Total HEI Score (rho=-.3, p<.01).

This type 2 diabetes sample was not following the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.