Health education about balanced diet and regular exercise delivered to a community falls during which period of the natural history of disease?

• A Period of convalescence and recovery
• B Early pathogenesis period, before clinical onset
• C Late pathogenesis period, after clinical onset
• D Pre-pathogenesis period ✓

Explanation

The natural history of disease is divided into the pre-pathogenesis period, when the agent has not yet interacted with host enough to begin disease processes, and the pathogenesis period, which runs from initial tissue change onward. Health promotion and specific protection are interventions aimed at the pre-pathogenesis period and together constitute primary prevention. Early diagnosis and treatment act in early pathogenesis, while disability limitation and rehabilitation act later in the course.

Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.