A health initiative that focuses on reducing risk factors before any disease occurs is an example of

• A. Primary prevention.
• B. Secondary prevention.
• C. Tertiary prevention.
• D. Quaternary prevention.

Answer: (A)

Preventing disease before it starts is primary prevention. It targets healthy individuals and aims to reduce risk factors so disease doesn’t develop in the first place. Think of actions like vaccination, promoting regular physical activity, healthy eating, smoking cessation, and safety measures that lower the chance of injury or illness. In contrast, secondary prevention focuses on finding disease early through screening in people who may not yet have symptoms, to improve outcomes. Tertiary prevention happens after a disease is present, with the goal of reducing complications and restoring function. Quaternary prevention is about avoiding unnecessary or harmful medical interventions. So this health initiative is an example of primary prevention.