Rose's Theorem: "A large number of people at small risk may give rise to more cases of disease than a small number who are at high risk."
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Preventive medicine or preventive healthcare is measures taken to prevent illness or injury, rather than curing them. This type of care is best exemplified by hand washing and immunizations. It can be contrasted not only with curative medicine, but also with public health methods (which work at the level of population health rather than individual health).
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Professionals involved in the public health aspect of this practice may be involved in entomology, pest control, and public health inspections. Public health inspections can include recreational waters, pools, beaches, food preparation and serving, and industrial hygiene inspections and surveys.
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Preventive care may include examinations and screening tests tailored to an individual's age, health, and family history. For example, a person with a family history of certain cancers or other diseases would being screening at an earlier age and/or more frequently than those with no family history.
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The most important part of preventive health care is maintaining good health habits. This includes:
* Daily exercise
* Weight control
* Proper nutrition
* Avoidance of smoking and drug abuse
* Abstinence from, or moderation of, alcohol use
* Proper control of any diseases or disorders, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or high levels of cholesterol in the blood
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| Leading Causes of Preventable Deaths in the United States as of the Year 2000:
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| Cause |
Deaths |
% of Total |
| Smoking |
435,000 |
18.1 |
| Overweight and Obesity |
365,000 |
15.2 |
| Alcohol consumption |
85,000 |
3.5 |
| Infections |
75,000 |
3.1 |
| Toxic agents |
55,000 |
2.3 |
| Motor vehicle collisions |
43,000 |
1.8 |
| Incidents involving firearms |
29,000 |
1.2 |
| Sexually transmitted infections |
20,000 |
0.8 |
| Illicit use of drugs |
17,000 |
0.7 |
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