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From 2017 to 2018, people aged 2 years and older scored 57.4 on the Healthy Eating Index score range of 0 - 100.
Background
Poor diet quality is associated with an increased risk of cancer. Measuring total diet quality is complex, so some analyses have focused only on individual dietary constituents. However, such a reductionist approach may provide limited information, so a more integrated approach that captures the total diet, or dietary pattern, is useful. The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) is a measure of overall diet quality, independent of diet quantity, that measures alignment with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Measure
The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) provides a total diet score on a scale from 0 to 100 points. The HEI is a scoring metric that can be used to determine overall diet quality as well as the quality of several dietary components. View more information about the HEI.
Healthy People 2030 Target
- There is no Healthy People target for the Healthy Eating Index.
Healthy People 2030 is a set of goals set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Data Source
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(link is external), 1994–2018.
Trends and Most Recent Estimates
By Sex
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2017 to 2018) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| HEI-2015 Score | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Both Sexes
|
57.4 | 55.6 - 59.3 |
Male
|
55.8 | 53.9 - 57.7 | |
Female
|
59.5 | 57.5 - 61.4 | |
By Race/Ethnicity
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2017 to 2018) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| HEI-2015 Score | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
All Races/Ethnicities
|
57.4 | 55.6 - 59.3 |
Non-Hispanic White
|
56.1 | 53.3 - 58.9 | |
Non-Hispanic Black
|
55.1 | 52.1 - 57.9 | |
Hispanic
|
59.9 | 57.9 - 61.8 | |
By Poverty Income Level
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2017 to 2018) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| HEI-2015 Score | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
<200% of Federal Poverty Level
|
56.1 | 53.7 - 58.6 |
>=200% of Federal Poverty Level
|
58.3 | 56.3 - 60.4 | |
Additional Information on Healthy Eating Index
- ACS Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention. American Cancer Society.
- Diet and Physical Activity: What’s the Cancer Connection? American Cancer Society.
- Cancer Prevention and Control: Healthy Choices. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Overview & Background of Healthy Eating Index (HEI). Epidemiology and Genomics Research Program.
- Healthy Eating Index. Food and Nutrition Service.
- National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research | Healthy Eating Index. National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research.
- Diet/Nutrition Evidence-Based Programs Listing. National Cancer Institute.
- Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Public Health Professionals Gateway.
- American Cancer Society guideline for diet and physical activity for cancer prevention. Rock CL, Thomson C, Gansler T, et al. CA Cancer J Clin. 2020; 70(4): 245-271.
- 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Continuous Update Project. World Cancer Research Fund International.
- Diet, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Cancer: a Global Perspective. World Cancer Research Fund, and the American Institute for Cancer Research.
- Usual Dietary Intakes: Food Intakes, U.S. Population, 2007–10. National Cancer Institute.
- What We Eat in America. U.S. Department of Agriculture.