The long-term objectives of the propose symposium are to (1) resolve controversial and conflicting biological and social issues pertaining to nutrition and metabolism in aging Blacks; (2) develop appropriate procedures and indices for assessing nutritional health and nutrition-related diseases in aging Blacks; (3) assist in developing appropriate policies, programs and services to aging Blacks; and (4) improve the nutritional and health status of aging Blacks.
The specific aims are to (a) highlight some of the major unique aspects of Blacks and aging from the standpoint of genetics, physiology, biochemistry, nutrition, culture, and socioeconomics; (b) provide opportunities for multidisciplinary information exchange and collaboration by investigators and scholars in the biomedical, sociobehavioral and clinical sciences whose work involve nutrition and metabolism in aging Blacks; (c) develop a research agenda on nutrition in aging Blacks, based on (a) above; and (d) disseminate the Symposium Proceedings to researchers, funding organizations, policy makers, health practitioners and others who provide nutrition and health services to aging Blacks. A 21/2-day symposium featuring 12-13 major papers by experts on topics covering a range of biological and sociocultural processes in nutrition and metabolism relative to aging in Blacks is being proposed for May 18-20, 1988. Topics have been carefully selected to reflect relevance to biological or social processes in Black aging. Criteria for selecting topics and expert presenters include (1) access to new data which clarify a major controversy in the field, explain a phenomenon, or reduce speculation based on earlier limited observations; (2) access to new findings obtained by recalculating published data using newer perspectives or technologies; (3) expansion of old database to include a different population or different research parameters, (4) ability to produce a publishable manuscript which meet strict peer review standards. Complete manuscripts are to be received by April 1, 1988 for prior review by the organizers and expert reviewers. Authors will use symposium time to highlight and discuss the major points in the papers and to recommend a research agenda for further work. The scientific and administrative components of the symposium will be formally evaluated. Symposium proceedings will be published in two formats - a complete scientific publication directed to the academic and research communities, and an executive summary for health practitioners and policy makers, the educated lay public, and the press.
