A Comparison of Dietary Intake Among Rural Americans With and Without Diabetes.

Overview

OBJECTIVE: To compare alternative Healthy Eating Index (aHEI) scores among residents with or without diabetes in a rural county and analyze food/drink subgroups for notable differences between the 2 groups. METHODS: We performed cross-sectional surveys and validated food frequency questionnaires among rural residents in Sullivan County, New York. We compared total aHEI and component scores between participants with and without diabetes. RESULTS: The 155 respondents with diabetes were older, less frequently non-Hispanic White, and had higher mean body mass index than the 961 respondents without diabetes. We found lower aHEI scores among participants with diabetes (54.1) than those without (56.7) (P = 0.001). Respondents with diabetes had significantly lower component scores for alcoholic beverages, red meat, nuts/legumes, and trans-fats than those without diabetes. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Our findings highlight the need for nutrition education in high-risk rural communities. We also identified specific food/drink categories among rural residents with diabetes that should be targeted to improve glycemic control.