2009 Annual Report 1b.Approach (from AD-416) Barriers and facilitators of adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DG) will be identified through random nominal group sessions with 5th graders and caretakers in the Delta of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Researchers will examine how differential profiles of adherence relate to obesity in children and adults of the Delta region. This research is part of the ARS multi-location study entitled "Healthy Eating and Lifestyle for Total Health" (HEALTH) and will be conducted concurrently with the other ARS partners. HEALTH study locations include the Delta region plus the six ARS Human Nutrition Research Centers located in Arkansas, California, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Dakota, and Texas. Conceptually and culturally appropriate survey tools will be constructed to assess DG adherence barriers and facilitators for African-American and Caucasian children and their caregivers of the Lower Mississippi Delta region. A pilot test will be conducted to determine the psychometric properties of the survey tools. Barriers and facilitators of DG adherence and other factors as they relate to dietary behavior and body mass index will be examined by administering the surveys to cross-sections of the Lower Mississippi Delta region's population. 3.Progress Report ARS scientists assisted other scientists from ARS, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute, the University of Southern Mississippi, Alcorn State University, Southern University and A&M College, and Pennington Biomedical Research Center, in the development of research goals and questions to accomplish the objectives of the Delta OPRU through a workshop of all cooperating scientists. A subsequent workshop was convened to assist all cooperating scientists to develop their Project Plan Outlines (PPO) using Delta OPRU objectives. Once PPOs were approved by National Program Staff, the scientists were assisted in developing the full Project Pre-Plans to submit to the Office of Scientific Quality and Review for peer review. 6.Technology Transfer Number of Other Technology Transfer 1 Review Publications Mccabe Sellers, B.J., Lovera, D., Nuss, H.J., Wise, C., Ning, B., Teitel, C., Shelby Clark, B., Toennessen, T., Green, B., Bogle, M.L., Kaput, J. Personalizing nutrigenomics research through community based participatory research and omics technologies. 2008. Journal of Integrative Biology.12(4):263-272. Zoellner, J., Bounds, W., Connell, C. 2009. Community health advisors' perceptions of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines and MyPyramid. Journal of Extension. 47(2): 1-10. Zoellner, J., Powers, A., Avis-Williams, A., Ndirangu, M., Strickland, E., Yadrick, K. 2009. Compliance and acceptability of maintaining a 6-month pedometer diary in a rural, African American community-based walking intervention. Journal of Physical Activity and Health. 6:475-482. Zoellner, J., Connell, C., Bounds, W., Crook, L., Yadrick, K. 2009. Nutrition literacy status and preferred nutrition communication channels among adults in the Lower Mississippi Delta. Preventing Chronic Disease. 6(4):A128. McCabe Sellers, B.J., Chenard, C.A., Lovera, D., Champagne, C.M., Bogle, M.L., Kaput, J. 2009. Readiness of food composition databases and food component analysis systems for nutrigenomics. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. 22(Suppl):S57-S62.