What term refers to actions taken to prevent disease before it occurs?

• A. Diagnosis
• B. Health promotion
• C. Disease prevention
• D. Health education

Answer: (C)

Preventing illness before it starts is disease prevention, focusing on actions that stop disease from developing in the first place. This is primary prevention, like vaccination, healthy lifestyle choices (not smoking, good diet, regular exercise), safe food and water, and reducing exposure to hazards. Health promotion is a broader aim to improve overall well-being and may involve policies or environments that support health, not just specific disease-preventive actions. Health education is about teaching people information to help them make healthier choices, which can lead to prevention but isn’t the act of preventing itself. Diagnosis, on the other hand, is about identifying a disease after it has already occurred.