Recent trends in nutrition research emphasize pluralism, diversity, and equity, shaping both scientific inquiry and interventions in perinatal health. With growing recognition of health inequalities, there is an increasing need to further integrate social and structural perspectives into nutritional interventions. Perinatal social nutrition offers a comprehensive approach to addressing inequities in perinatal health and nutrition by considering the sociocultural, organizational, political, legal, and educational factors that influence perinatal nutrition. This session aims to facilitate dialogue between academics and professionals, as well as between sociologists and nutritionists, to advance effective strategies for reducing perinatal nutritional inequalities. It examines three key pathways through which social inequalities can impact perinatal nutrition and shape intervention strategies. The first concerns barriers that limit access to knowledge, practices, support, and healthcare services. The second examines socialization processes that influence suboptimal or contraindicated nutritional behaviors. The third highlights biopsychosocial mechanisms, particularly the role of chronic stress, that have direct consequences on maternal and child health. This presentation outlines conceptual foundations of a social nutrition approach and discusses research projects that exemplify its application. Integrating social sciences, transdisciplinary frameworks, and multi-level approaches into dietitians’ training, research, and practice is essential to addressing perinatal health inequalities. By focusing on structural determinants, perinatal social nutrition provides tailored nutritional support during critical developmental periods, from conception to early childhood, promoting maternal and child health across generations.
Bénédicte Fontaine-Bisson is an associate professor in the School of Nutrition Sciences and a professional dietitian. She received a PhD in nutrition sciences (specialization in nutrigenetics) from the University of Toronto and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in genetic epidemiology at the Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (INSERM) in Paris. Her research program in perinatal social nutrition, in collaboration with Professor Alex Dumas (School of Human Kinetics), takes a socially-engaged approach focused on nutritional equity during pregnancy and early childhood. Perinatal social nutrition is based on theories and methodologies of the sociology of social inequality, to address social, cultural, organizational and political barriers to optimal perinatal nutrition and health. The research program uses mixed methods and seeks to offer nutritional services adapted to critical periods of development, from conception to early childhood. The primary goal is to reduce social inequality by improving the nutrition, health and wellness of families living with material and social insecurity.