Question

Screening is the most commonly used epidemiological tool in school health services. Which level of prevention does it refer to?

• A. Primary
• B. Secondary
• C. Tertiary
• D. Primary and secondary

Hint:

Early detection plus prompt treatment before the disease worsens is the hallmark of secondary prevention.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept.
We need to place screening in the correct box among the three prevention levels used in public health.

Step 2: Key Approach.
Think of the three levels on a timeline. Primary prevention sits before disease starts, tertiary sits after disease has caused lasting damage, and secondary sits in the middle, catching disease early and treating it fast.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation.
School screening programs check vision, hearing, growth, and dental health regularly, looking for problems that have already begun but have not yet caused obvious symptoms or complications. Finding these problems early and referring the child for treatment fits exactly into the middle box, secondary prevention. It cannot be primary prevention, since primary prevention stops disease before it ever starts, and here the condition may already be present. It is not tertiary prevention either, because tertiary care deals with limiting damage once a disease is already advanced, not with finding it early.

Step 4: Final Answer.
Screening as used in school health services is a secondary prevention activity.