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While there are many forms of social inequalities, few can better illustrate the impact of social and material disadvantage than class differences in maternal and fetal/infant adverse health outcomes. In sociology, three broad and interacting explanations can explain health inequalities. The first refers to various forms of sociopolitical and economic barriers to health knowledge, practices and spaces. The second refers to various somatic cultures that oppose health guidelines. The third refers to biopsychological responses to the one’s social environment that may be cumulated over time. More recently, sociologists are engaging in interdisciplinarity by meshing biology, psychology and sociology to identify strategies aiming to reduce inequalities. In sociology of sport, the work of Shannon Jette is highly relevant in showing the value of integrative frameworks to avoid simplistic solutions in perinatal health. Integrated models provide powerful explanatory tools, but they typically face difficulties to provide cohesive approaches and results that translate into policies and programs. This paper presents a knowledge-to-action interdisciplinary study (sociology-nutrition sciences) in perinatal health inequalities. Over 180 face-to-face meetings were held with 60 pregnant women from highly contrasting socioeconomic groups in Ottawa (Ontario). Data for each participant: 10 questionnaires (health & wellbeing, lifestyles and service use), in-depth interview, medical records on mother/infant health outcomes, and hair cortisol samples). Drawing on Göran Therborn, results show (a) how physical activity is a social marker of: (a) class/gender/ethnic inequalities in perinatal care, and (b) inequality mechanisms (distanciation, exclusion and hierarchization). We conclude, by identifying equality mechanisms to orient perinatal policies.
