Social determinants and nutrition: reflections on the role of communication

A healthy diet is considered a critical pathway in influencing chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and obesity. The current information environment around diet and nutrition is complex and often confusing to the public. Though considerable evidence suggests that successful public health communication campaigns can promote health and prevent disease, studies also show that this success is subject to the influence of social determinants, such as social class, social networks, race and ethnicity, and neighborhood. Through a critical and selective review of literature on social epidemiology and public health communication, this paper explores how social determinants may mediate nutrition communication effects.