THIS PHASE I PROJECT WILL REFINE A COMPUTERIZED DIETARY RECORDING AND NUTRIENT ANALYSIS SOFTWARE PROGRAM.

THIS PHASE I PROJECT WILL REFINE A COMPUTERIZED DIETARY RECORDING AND NUTRIENT ANALYSIS SOFTWARE PROGRAM. THE DINE SYSTEM, FOR USE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL-BASED CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH INTERVENTION RESEARCH PROJECTS. AN ALGORITHM FOR ACCURATELY DETERMINING IDEAL CALORIC LEVEL WILL BE DEVELOPEDWHICH WILL INCLUDE A SYSTEM TO ACCURATELY MEASURE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND DETERMINE RELATIVE WEIGHT FOR AGE AND HEIGHT OFCHILDREN. THE SOFTWARE WILL BE REFINED AND IMPROVED BASED UPON EXPERIENCE AND DATA FROM MAJOR CONSULTANTS. A DINE DIETARY ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL, INCLUDING THE REVISED SOFTWARE AND A FOUR LESSON MODULE WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR THE CHILDREN.AN INSERVICE PROGRAM WILL BE DEVELOPED TO ACQUAINT THE TEACHERS WITH THE PROTOCOL. A TWO-PERIOD CROSS-OVER DESIGN WILL BE EMPLOYED TO COMPARE THE DEVELOPED PROTOCOL WITH AN ESTABLISHED DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS PROTOCOL. TWO HUNDRED SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS FROM THREE MIDDLE SCHOOLS WILL COMPRISE THE SAMPLE FOR A FIELD STUDY DESIGNED TO ESTABLISH CRITERION VALIDITY, DATABASE SIZE VALIDITY, AND TEST-RETEST RELIABILITY. THE DINE DIETARY ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL WILL PROVIDE AN INEXPENSIVE, STANDARDIZED DEPENDENT VARIABLE TO EVALUATE AND IMPROVE HEART HEALTH AND NUTRITION EDUCATION PROGRAMS. IN FUTURE STUDIES, THE PROTOCOL WILL BE TRANSPOR-TED TO THE GROWING NUMBERS OF HEALTH EDUCATION AND NUTRITIONPROGRAMS IN THE NATION'S SCHOOLS.