A national policy reduces salt content in processed foods, lowering average systolic blood pressure across the whole population by a modest margin. Although most individuals derive little personal benefit, the total number of strokes prevented in the country is large. This characteristic trade-off of the population approach is called:

• A Prevention paradox ✓
• B Will Rogers phenomenon
• C Lead time bias
• D Hawthorne effect

Explanation

Geoffrey Rose described the prevention paradox: a preventive measure that brings large benefit to the community offers little benefit to each participating individual, because most people exposed to a small risk contribute more total cases than the few at high risk. The high-risk approach gives substantial benefit to individuals but smaller population impact. Lead time bias concerns screening outcome distortion, not population strategy.

Reference: Oxford Textbook of Public Health / Rose, The Strategy of Preventive Medicine, as cited in Park 26th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.