Week # 2 – LEVELS OF PREVENTION

4 Major Health Care Strategies:

A. Preventive
B. Promotive
C. Curative
D. Rehabilitative

A. Preventive strategies –focused on avoiding disease or preventing further complications of

any disease present. Ex. Educate, screening programs
B. Promotive strategies –focused on attaining a higher level of health.
Ex. Fitness class, meditation, yoga
C. Curative –Health interventions that include pharmacotherapy, and traditional,
complementary and alternative medicine. Ex. Taking antibiotics

D. Rehabilitative –Health care strategies provided to people who have had a serious injury,
illness or surgery, you may recover slowly. The person may need to regain his/her strength,
relearn skills or find new ways of doing things he has done before.

Rehabilitation often focuses on:

 Physical therapy to help restore strength, mobility and fitness

 Occupational therapy to help with daily activities
 Speech-language therapy to help with speaking, understanding, reading, writing and
swallowing

Levels of Prevention:
1. Primary prevention –generalized promotion and specific protection against disease
–It precedes disease or dysfunction and is applied to generally healthy
individuals, but may also be offered to clients regardless of their health
status and age
Ex. Health education –accident prevention, nutrition, growth and development,
exercise, stress management, etc.
2. Secondary prevention –emphasizes early detection of disease, prompt intervention and
health maintenance for individuals at risk of experiencing health problems
Ex. Screening for hypertension, high cholesterol, hepatitis, etc.
 Regular medical/ dental check-ups
Teaching breast self-exam

3. Tertiary prevention –Begins after an illness, when a defect or disability is fixed, stabilized
or irreversible; focus is to help individuals and restore them to an optimal level of
functioning within the constraints of the disability
–Similar to rehabilitative strategies but focuses on preventing
further complications or worsening of the condition

Types of Health Promotion Programs:

1. Information dissemination –raises knowledge/ awareness; uses media to offer

information about risks related to certain behaviours as well as benefits of changing
behaviours
–through billboards, brochures, newsletters, books, health fairs
–topics may include drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, etc.
2. Health appraisal/ wellness assessment programs –used to inform individuals of risk
factors inherent in their lives to motivate them to reduce specific risks and develop
positive health habits; a variety of tools are available.
3. Life style and behaviour change programs –geared to enhancing quality of life and
extending life span; examples include stress management, nutrition awareness, weight
control, smoking cessation, exercise.
4. Worksite wellness programs –address workplace issues (air quality, accident
prevention); may include health enhancement programs.
5. Environmental controls programs –may include community groups concerned about
toxic and nuclear wastes, nuclear power plants, air/ water pollution, and
herbicide/pesticide spraying.