Holding no-one back: The Nutrition Equity Framework in theory and practice

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nutrition Science
• Social Determinants of Health

Background:

• Current nutrition frameworks lack adequate conceptualization of equity.
• Existing policies often fail to address the root causes of nutrition inequity.
• There is a need for a comprehensive approach to understanding and improving nutrition equity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel Nutrition Equity Framework (NEF).
• To identify priorities for nutrition research and action.
• To illustrate how socio-political determinants influence nutrition.

Main Methods:

• Literature review to inform framework development.
• Conceptual analysis of social and political processes impacting nutrition.
• Integration of concepts of unfairness, injustice, and exclusion.

Main Results:

• The NEF illustrates how social and political factors shape food, health, and care environments.
• Processes of unfairness, injustice, and exclusion are identified as drivers of nutrition inequity.
• The framework emphasizes the fundamental role of socio-political determinants in improving nutrition equity.

Conclusions:

• Action on socio-political determinants is crucial for sustainable nutrition equity.
• An 'equity-sensitive nutrition' approach is proposed.
• Efforts must ensure no one is left behind or held back from their right to healthy diets.