A school nurse is educating children about hand hygiene. This activity represents which level of prevention?

A school nurse is educating children about hand hygiene. This activity represents which level of prevention?

• A. Tertiary prevention
• B. Primary prevention
• C. Secondary prevention
• D. Quaternary prevention

Answer: (B)

Hand hygiene education aims to prevent infections before they occur by interrupting transmission. That fits primary prevention because it targets reducing risk factors before any disease is present. Secondary would involve detecting disease early through screening, tertiary focuses on reducing complications once disease exists, and quaternary relates to avoiding overmedicalization. So educating children about handwashing is a primary prevention activity.

Hand hygiene education aims to prevent infections before they occur by interrupting transmission. That fits primary prevention because it targets reducing risk factors before any disease is present. Secondary would involve detecting disease early through screening, tertiary focuses on reducing complications once disease exists, and quaternary relates to avoiding overmedicalization. So educating children about handwashing is a primary prevention activity.