Public healthLesson 5 of 5 in the course Foundations of Public/Community Health

Five Levels of Prevention: Targets and Public Health Applications

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

Save course
Lesson progress
0 / 5

Your progress is kept in this browser only.Sign up to save it

Summary

Public health prevention can begin before risk factors develop or focus on stopping a specific adverse health outcome from occurring. This lesson introduces primordial and primary prevention, clarifying how they differ and how they can be applied to individuals, communities, and populations.

Primordial prevention aims to reduce the development of risk factors across an entire population. It often works through broad social changes, public policy, and the environments in which people live, learn, and work. Rather than waiting until individuals have a risk factor, primordial prevention tries to make healthy choices and conditions easier to achieve for everyone.

All flashcards

Primordial prevention
Population-wide action that reduces the emergence of risk factors, often through social, environmental, or policy changes.
Primary prevention
Interventions intended to prevent a particular adverse health outcome before it occurs.
Secondary prevention
Early detection and prompt action intended to slow disease progression or minimize its impact.
Tertiary prevention
Management of an established condition to reduce its effects and prevent complications.
Quaternary prevention
Protection from tests or treatments that are unnecessary or may cause more harm than benefit.

Quiz questions

  1. Routine screening is used to find a disease early so that timely action can follow. Which prevention level does this illustrate?Answer: Secondary prevention
  2. A person with an established condition receives ongoing care intended to reduce complications and preserve function. Which prevention level is this?Answer: Tertiary prevention
  3. A clinician decides against ordering a test because its result is unlikely to change care and testing could cause harm. Which prevention level is this?Answer: Quaternary prevention
  4. Which principle should guide the classification of a prevention intervention?Answer: Its intended purpose and the person's health status
  5. A community program helps people with an established condition manage it and reduce its effects. Which level best fits this purpose?Answer: Tertiary prevention

Based on Population Health for Nurses by Jessica Ochs, Sherry L. Roper, Susan M. Schwartz (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

More in Public health

All Public health lessons
Public healthStructural Racism, Neighborhood Conditions, and Racial Health Disparities5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →Public healthSocio-Ecological Models in Health: Systems, Frameworks, and Nursing Use5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →Public healthHealthy People 2030, Public Health Delivery Mechanisms, and the Triple Aim5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →Public healthHealth Promotion Barriers, Behavior Factors, and Settings5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →Public healthCommunity Health Program Objectives, SMART Planning, and Action Plans5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →Public healthPublic/Community Health Nursing: Population Care, Prevention, and Advocacy5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 4 gamesPlay free →