Healthy Eating Index (HEI) Scores Are Higher Among Older Adults Who Do Not Consume Frozen Meals Than Frequent Consumers: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of NHANES 2015–2018

OBJECTIVES: This study utilized the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) to assess dietary quality by the frequency of frozen meal consumption among community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: A sample of 2,730 participants, ≥60 years and not participating in meal programs through the Older Americans Act, was selected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015–2018. Frequency of frozen meal consumption was recoded into non-consumers, occasional consumers, and frequent consumers (0, 1–2, and 3+ times per month, respectively). The HEI 2015 was calculated using two days of dietary recalls. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the relationships between HEI and frozen meal consumption while adjusting for gender, race/ethnicity, marital status, education, and body mass index. RESULTS: The percentage of participants classified as non-consumers, occasional consumers, and regular consumers was 58.0%, 24.7%, and 17.3%, respectively. Mean HEI scores for non-consumers, occasional consumers, and regular consumers of frozen meals were 57.1 ± 0.7, 54.2 ± 0.9, and 53.5 ± 1.0, respectively. Compared to non-consumers, frequent consumers had significantly lower HEI scores (ẞ = −2.76, p < 0.03). There were no significant differences in HEI scores when comparing occasional consumers to non-consumers (ẞ = 2.22, p = 0.06) and frequent consumers (ẞ = −0.52, p = 0.66). CONCLUSIONS: Frequent consumption of frozen meals is associated with reduced diet quality among community-dwelling older adults. Older adults may benefit from nutrition education from Registered Dietitians on selecting healthy options when eating frozen meals. Additionally, participation in nutrition assistance programs for older adults may promote improved diet quality. FUNDING SOURCES: The authors have no funding sources to disclose for this research.