The primary goal of this dissertation was to determine the predictors of and barriers to the type and frequency of dairy productconsumption in older Americans. Three unique samples were used: a convenience sample of local health promotion program participants (n = 103, aged 50-89); a national probability based sample (n = 494, aged 60-93); and a sample from NHANES III (n = 6221; aged 60-89). Milk intolerant elders appear at risk for low calcium intakes because of their long history of milk avoidance and lack ofconcern about consuming enough calcium as adults. In the national probability sample, 56% of the participants consumed two or more servings of dairy products per day. Total dairy product consumption was positively associated with trying to get enough calcium from foods, nutrition knowledge and adolescent milk consumption and negatively associated with being African American and perceived intolerance to ice cream. Being female, high nutrition knowledge, and positive nutrition related health seeking behaviorswere most strongly and consistently associated with the use of food labels. Health promotion program participation was associated with higher nutrition knowledge and positive health seeking behaviors among the Caucasian and female participants. Findings fromthe NHANES III showed that 27% of the participants consumed two or more servings of dairy products per day. Ethnicity was themost consistent predictor of each of the seven categories of dairy foods examined. Total dairy product consumption was positively associated with age, ethnicity, education and teenage milk consumption. The collective findings from this series of studies indicates that: (1) many elders are at risk of inadequate calcium and vitamin D consumption because their dairy food consumption is less than recommended; (2) milk consumption during adolescence appears to be associated with dairy product consumption in late adulthood and should be encouraged; (3) intervention strategies must be sensitive to differences among demographic groups; (4) developmentof dairy foods that are low in lactose may help improve dairy product consumption in older adults; and (5) exploration of cultural factors associated with dairy product consumption is warranted.