National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Program

Latest Nutrition Directory Now Available on the Web

Nutrition Monitoring in the United States: The Directory of Federal and State Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Activities. 268 pp. (PHS) 99-1255 [PDF - 793 KB]

Up-to-date Guide to Federal and State Nutrition Data and Research Activities. With the release on the Internet of the 1998 Directory of Federal and State Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Activities, researchers, reporters, and the public have a comprehensive and current guide to a wide array of nutrition information and research, with links directly to the Federal and State sources included in the Directory.

Why a Directory? Dietary factors contribute substantially to preventable illness and premature death in the United States. Poor diet contributes to 5 of the 10 leading causes of death. Important research is ongoing at the Federal and State level to monitor the nutritional status of the population, track trends and patterns in diet, understand better the relationship of diet to health, and develop ways to translate knowledge into programs and policies. A product of the Interagency Board for Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research, the Directory is a key component of the monitoring program in the United States--a complex system of coordinated activities that provides data used for Federal policymaking on food safety, food fortification, food labeling, and dietary guidance, as well as for tracking progress toward nutrition and health objectives and setting nutrition research priorities.

Directory Content. This Directory lists and describes the survey, surveillance, and research activities that are a part of an integrated nutrition monitoring program. The 1998 Directory is part of an effort to improve dissemination of nutrition monitoring activities and updates and expands upon earlier editions of the Directory.

The Directory is organized into five major areas:

• nutrition and related health measurements
• food and nutrient consumption
• knowledge, attitudes, and behavior assessments
• food composition and nutrient data bases
• food supply determinations

New Features of the Directory. For the first time ever, the Directory is available as an Internet publication. For more information and direct access to the sources, the Directory has active links to the home pages of the programs cited in the document. Just click directly in the addresses to link to a site of interest. The electronic Directory will be updated more frequently than past printed versions to remain a source of current information. Also new in this year’s Directory is a chapter devoted to nutrition monitoring research, the foundation for nutrition monitoring activities.