Dietary Quality and Diet-Related Factors Among Female Adults of Reproductive Age With and Without Disabilities Participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 2013-2018

Background: Female adults of reproductive age (18 to 44 years) with disabilities have higher rates of health-risk behaviors and chronic conditions compared with their counterparts without disabilities; however, there is limited examination of diet.

Objective: Our aim was to examine associations of self-reported disability status with diet quality and diet-related factors.

Design: Cross-sectional data were from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 2013-2018.

Participants/setting: Female adults aged 18 through 44 years were included. Disability was defined as serious difficulty hearing, seeing, concentrating, walking, dressing, and/or running errands due to physical, mental, or emotional conditions.

Main outcome measures: The Healthy Eating Index-2015 assessed diet quality. Diet-related factors included self-rated diet healthfulness, meal characteristics, food security, and food assistance programs.

Statistical analysis: Multivariable linear regression estimated differences in Healthy Eating Index-2015 scores for a given day and multivariable Poisson regression estimated adjusted prevalence ratios and 95% CI of diet-related factors by disability status.

Results: Of 3,579 female adults, 557 (16%) reported any disabilities, 207 (6%) of whom reported having 2 or more types of disabilities. Differences in mean Healthy Eating Index-2015 scores for a given day were one-third to one-half a point lower for fruits, total protein foods, and seafood and plant proteins among female adults with 2 or more types of disabilities compared with those without disabilities. Female adults with any disabilities were more likely to rate their diet as poor, have low food security, participate in food-assistance programs, and consume frozen foods or pizza, compared with those without disabilities (adjusted prevalence ratio ranged from 1.35 to 1.93); they were less likely to be the main food planner or preparer or shopper for their households.

Conclusions: Some indicators of diet quality and diet-related factors differed between female adults with and without disabilities. Additional investigation of dietary intakes and behaviors, as well as access to and availability of healthy foods, among female adults with disabilities is necessary.