Biocultural Perspectives on Public Health Nutrition

Catalog description

NUTR 421 (3) (IL) takes a public health perspective whereby the bio-cultural influences on health and nutrition are examined across global contexts. It will challenge students to consider the extent to which social and cultural factors contribute to food behaviors and nutritional status, particularly among vulnerable populations in low- and middle-income settings. The application of the social sciences, including key principles from nutritional anthropology, are a critical yet often overlooked aspect of public health nutrition interventions; this course will ask students to critique both over- and under-nutrition interventions through both biomedical and ethnomedical lenses. Students will describe key considerations for culturally-appropriate nutrition intervention development, implementation, and evaluation within the public health sphere.