Athletic Training Practice Exam

Which stage of disease prevention focuses on early detection and appropriate referral?

1. Primary

2. Secondary

3. Initial

4. Tertiary

The correct answer is: Secondary

The stage of disease prevention that focuses on early detection and appropriate referral is secondary prevention. This stage is critical because it aims to identify health issues at an early stage before they progress into more severe conditions. For example, secondary prevention strategies may include screening tests, such as mammograms for breast cancer or blood pressure checks for hypertension, which allow for early identification of disease. Once a problem is detected, appropriate referrals can be made to specialists or treatment programs to manage or mitigate the issue effectively. In contrast, primary prevention is geared towards preventing the onset of disease before it occurs through strategies like vaccinations and healthy lifestyle promotion. Tertiary prevention focuses on managing existing diseases to reduce complications or improve quality of life. There's also the term "initial," which does not correspond to a widely recognized stage in public health prevention terminology. Hence, secondary prevention plays a pivotal role in the continuum of care by catching diseases early when they are most treatable.