Title: Perinatal Health: A Social Nutrition Approach to Reducing Health Inequity 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.
Alex Dumas is a Professor in the School of Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa. His research focuses on social inequalities in health and education. Drawing on sociological theory, he examines the impact of social position on lifestyles and analyzes the relationship between social class, the body, and health, particularly in relation to diet and physical activity. His work also sheds light on how different social groups prioritize health-related concerns. He has contributed to several studies on social inequalities related to age, socioeconomic status, and gender. He is currently working on biosocial and interdisciplinary frameworks to study perinatal nutritional inequalities.