2006 Annual Report 4d.Progress report. This report serves to document research conducted under a reimbursable agreement between ARS and the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging. Additional details of research can be found in the report for the parent project 1235-53000-015-00D, "Improve and Conduct The Collection, Assessment, and Dissemination of Food Consumption and Related Data of Americans." Scientists within the Food Surveys Research Group provided scientific and technical support in the collection, coding, and analysis of dietary data for the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity Across the Life Span: A 20-Year Longitudinal Study (HANDLS). The primary objective of HANDLS is to create a representative 20-year longitudinal study of health status across the lifespan focused on investigating the differential influences of race and socioeconomic status on health in an urban population. The study is recruiting a representative sample of whites and African Americans between 30 and 64 years old from 12 census tracts in Baltimore City, Maryland, in both low and high socioeconomic strata. Data collection includes a baseline assessment and five follow-up triennenial assessments over approximately 20 years. Anticipating attrition due to non-response, morbidity, and mortality yields an initial sample of approximately 4,000 participants or about 335 participants per tract. HANDLS researchers were provided with and trained on operation and administration of the dietary recall instrument, the USDA Automated Multiple Pass Method, for collection of the 24-hour dietary recalls and the computer-assisted coding system, SurveyNet, for coding and analysis of dietary intake data. Food Surveys Research Group (FSRG) scientists collaborated in launching the dietary data collection and processing in HANDLS in the fall of 2005. They conducted 10 training sessions for HANDLS dietary interviewers and dietary data coders. They reviewed data for quality assurance as data collection and coding were initiated. They collaborated with the HANDLS nutritionist in establishing quality control procedures for data review and editing. Throughout the first several months of data collection, FSRG scientists provided technical expertise and guidance in the dietary data processing operations of HANDLS, including identification of needed system capabilities to assure data integrity and programming systems to assure effective data transfer and editing. FSRG scientists have conducted analysis of preliminary dietary intake data collected in HANDLS. FSRG provided office space and administrative support for the HANDLS nutritionist and two graduate students.