Prevention

Question 1

What is the primary level of prevention?

Answer 1

Interventions that attempt to prevent disease from occuring i.e. reduce the incidence of disease
E.g. immunisation to prevent measles

Question 2

What is the secondary level of prevention?

Answer 2

Reduce impact of disease by shortening its duration, reducing severity or prevent recurrence
- Cure, or stop progression once condition has been initiated
- May involve earlier diagnosis and treatment
E.g. cervical cancer screening

Question 3

What is the tertiary level of prevention?

Answer 3

Reduce the number of impact of complication; improve rehabilitation
E.g. specialist stroke rehab units

Question 4

Strategies for primary prevention

Answer 4

High risk (individual) strategy: individuals in special need are identified. The preventive process then takes the form of controlling the level of exposure to a cause or providing protection against the consequences of exposure
Population (mass) strategy: aims to reduce the health risks of the entire population

Question 5

Population/mass strategy advantages and disadvantages:

Answer 5

Advantages: radical, large potential for whole population, behaviourally appropriate (establishes norms)
Disadvantages: small benefit to individuals, poor motivation of individuals, benefit-to-risk ratio may be low for individuals

Question 6

High risk/individual strategy advantages and disadvantages:

Answer 6

Advantages: Appropriate to individuals, individual motivation, clinician motivation, favourable benefit-risk ratio for individuals
Disadvantages: Need to identify individuals, might be against population norms, can be hard to sustain behavioural change

Question 7

What is the prevention paradox?

Answer 7

A large number of people at small risk may give rise to more cases of disease than the small number who are at high risk
A preventive measure that brings large benefit to the community may offer little to each participating individual