CHAPTER 16 — Health Promotion & Disease Prevention

Core Concepts Health Promotion

Activities that improve general health and wellness and help prevent disease; includes healthy behaviors such as exercise, nutrition, stress management, and other actions that support overall health.

Disease Prevention

Activities designed to prevent a specific disease, detect disease early, or reduce the complications and long-term effects of an existing disease.

Risk Factor

A variable or characteristic that increases an individual's chance of developing a disease or health condition.

Modifiable Risk Factor

A risk factor that can be changed through a person's behaviors or interventions, such as tobacco use, poor diet, lack of exercise, stress, substance use, and excessive sun exposure.

Nonmodifiable Risk Factor

A risk factor that cannot be changed, such as age, genetic inheritance, and biological sex.

Genetic Risk Factor

A risk factor related to heredity that creates a predisposition for certain disorders, such as heart disease, cancer, or mental illness.

Physiologic Risk Factor

A physical or biological condition that increases the risk for a health problem, such as a high body mass index (BMI) or pregnancy.

Environmental Risk Factor

Exposure to conditions or substances in a person's environment that can negatively affect health, such as toxic chemicals, pesticides, poor water quality, or air pollution.

Lifestyle-Risk Behavior

A behavior or choice related to how a person lives that can increase or decrease their risk for disease, such as tobacco use, substance use, poor diet, lack of exercise, excessive sun exposure, or unmanaged stress.

Primary Prevention

Actions taken before a disease or injury occurs to prevent it from developing and promote health. Examples: Immunizations, Nutrition education, Exercise and fitness programs.

Secondary Prevention

Actions focused on early identification and treatment of disease to prevent the condition from worsening. Examples: Screening tests, Mammograms, Blood glucose screening.

Tertiary Prevention

Actions taken after an illness, injury, or chronic condition has occurred to prevent complications, reduce disability, and promote the highest possible level of functioning and independence. Examples: Rehabilitation, Support groups.

Screening

Testing people who may not have symptoms to identify a disease or health problem early, when early intervention may be beneficial.

Routine Physical Examination

A regular health assessment used to evaluate a person's overall health and identify potential problems or risk factors.

Blood Pressure Screening

Routine measurement of blood pressure to identify abnormal blood pressure, including hypertension.

Body Mass Index (BMI)

A measurement used to assess body weight in relation to height and identify individuals who may be at increased health risk.

Breast Cancer Screening

Screening intended to detect breast cancer early, including mammography.

Health Education

Providing clients with information and skills that help them make informed decisions and engage in behaviors that promote health.

Stress Management

Strategies used to reduce or manage the physical and psychological effects of stress.

Healthy Nutrition

Eating patterns that provide appropriate nutrients and support the maintenance of health and healthy body weight.

Community Resources

Services, organizations, programs, and other resources available within a community that can help clients meet health and wellness needs.

Healthy People 2030

A national initiative that provides health objectives designed to improve health and prevent disease among the U.S. population.