Research needs for dietary assessment and monitoring in the United States

The 10-y Plan for the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Program calls for research related to dietary data collection and interpretation and for improved data dissemination. The United States Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Information Service has released data from the 1989 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals and is planning for the next one. Respondent burden will be reduced. The sample is designed for improved estimates of dietary intakes for children and elderly individuals. An automated coding system will contribute to improved data management. Current research projects include developing data collection strategies in a cognitive research laboratory, exploring alternative interview structures for children, and developing methods to estimate the distributors of usual intakes of nutrients and foods. Priorities for further research and development are applying cognitive psychology research techniques to improve accuracy of responses, ensuring the temporal validity of food-composition databases, and developing the probability approach for assessing dietary adequacy.