Diet quality is critical for postpartum type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) progression among women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The Chinese Healthy Eating Index (CHEI) is a dietary index developed according to the latest Chinese Dietary Guidelines (CDG-2016). Our study aimed to assess the diet quality of women with previous GDM in rural areas of Hunan Province by applying the CHEI. Women with previous GDM in two counties of Hunan were enrolled. Their food intake data, which were used to calculate their CHEI scores, were collected by a 24-h dietary recall. The association of CHEI with sociodemographic and anthropometric variables was evaluated via linear regression models. 404 women were included in the final analysis. The mean score of the total CHEI was 54.9 (SD 7.9). The components of whole grains and mixed beans, seeds and nuts, tubers, dairy, and poultry scored extremely low. Ethnic minority groups and women younger than 30 years had lower CHEI scores. Our study observed an unsatisfactory diet quality among women with previous GDM in rural areas of Hunan Province. Future dietary education focusing on the CDG is needed to improve their diet quality and help in T2DM prevention among this population, especially young and ethnic minority women.
Keywords: Chinese Healthy Eating Index (CHEI); Hunan; diet quality; rural areas; women with previous gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).