The overall goals of the proposed Second International Conference on Dietary Assessment Methods are to enhance our understanding of diet and health relationships and to facilitate the development and monitoring of nutrition-related health objectives through the use of better methods of assessing food and nutrient intakes. The Organizing and Advisory Committee from the First International Conference strongly recommended that the second conference be held within three years of the first to maintain the forum created for sharing knowledge and ideas on an international basis. Research priorities developed as a result of the first conference will be addressed in pre-conference workshops, as well as during plenary and concurrent sessions. When possible each session will be presented by both a domestic and international speaker. The international participation will enhance the program because many other countries are involved in dietary assessment and creative research methods need to be discussed. Issues related to specific cultures, including non-western cultures and styles of eating, and methodologic issues involved in comparison of international studies will be addressed. Abstract presentations will be included in the proposed program. To facilitate the conference development, a domestic Organizing Committee and an international Advisory Committee has been established. Selection of a faculty of 31 domestic and 12 international speakers is in progress. Criteria for selection of abstracts and scholarship recipients, and plans for promotion and fund raising have been developed. Published proceedings of the conference will include identification of high priority needs in the area of diet assessment methodology, in addition to the presented papers. Progress achieved in the research priorities established by the first conference will also be addressed. Successful implementation of this conference and subsequent conferences in the proposed series will lead to advances in diet assessment methodology and to more appropriate use and interpretation of existing methods. Improved methods will enhance our understanding of the role of diet in the etiology and prevention of disease and thus will facilitate the development of nutrition policy and programs leading to improved health worldwide.
