According to Geoffrey Rose's framework, the chief disadvantage of the high-risk preventive strategy compared with the population strategy is that it:
- A Does not address the root causes of the disease distribution in the whole population ✓
- B Is less feasible to implement in clinical practice
- C Requires behaviour change in the majority who are at low risk
- D Provides greater benefit to society despite smaller benefit to the individual
Correct answer: A. Does not address the root causes of the disease distribution in the whole population
Explanation
The high-risk approach targets individuals above an arbitrary risk threshold, offering strong motivation and benefit to those selected, but it leaves the large number of people just below the threshold unprotected and does nothing about the environmental causes that set the population distribution. The population strategy shifts the entire risk distribution and benefits society broadly, though its benefit to any one individual may be small.
Reference: Oxford Textbook of Public Health, 5th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.