Lifecycle and Community Nutrition
Core concepts
Nutrition needs change across the lifecycle: pregnancy and lactation (folate, iron, iodine, choline, DHA, energy needs in the second and third trimesters), infancy (breast milk or iron-fortified formula, introduction of complementary foods around 6 months, vitamin D supplementation), childhood and adolescence (growth spurts, iron in menstruating teens), adulthood, and older adulthood (sarcopenia, vitamin B12 absorption, vitamin D and calcium, hydration, dysphagia). Community nutrition applies public health frameworks: food insecurity screening, the social determinants of health, food assistance programs, and culturally tailored counseling. Understand the role of the dietitian in WIC, school meals, and community health programs, and how to apply behavior-change models (transtheoretical, health belief, social cognitive) to real-world counseling.
Traps
Questions exploit the difference between recommendations for the general population and for high-risk groups (e.g., folic acid supplementation for all women of childbearing age vs treatment of deficiency). Watch for confusion between exclusive breastfeeding duration and total breastfeeding duration.
Worked example
A pregnant woman in her second trimester needs additional energy (~340 kcal/day) and protein (~25 g/day) above pre-pregnancy needs, plus adequate folate, iron, and iodine. Rule of thumb: pregnancy is not "eating for two" in calories; it is targeted nutrient adequacy.
Rule of thumb
Screen for food insecurity and tailor advice to culture, budget, and access before prescribing ideal diets.