What is Socially Just Dietetic Practice? Canadian Dietitians' Perspectives

Purpose: To explore what socially just dietetic practice means and how it is enacted in Registered Dietitians' (RDs) day-to-day work. Methods: We used qualitative interpretive description to design this study, for which we interviewed 19 Canadian RDs who engage in what they describe as socially just practice and/or advocacy. Results: Participants felt strongly that socially just practice is a responsibility of all practitioners and is rooted in a broader understanding of social justice. Participants described socially just dietetic practice as multidimensional and intersectional and asserted that it necessitates diverse voices and advocacy. The enactment of socially just practice varied across workplace settings and is shaped by the distinct worldviews, orientations to practice, day-to-day tasks, and demands that characterize different areas of practice, as well as by the attendant knowledge, skills, and experiences of practitioners employed therein. Conclusions: Acting on the commitments, competencies, and calls to action for socially just dietetic practice requires orienting the profession at a fundamental level to a collective and operationalizable vision of socially just dietetic practice and advocacy.