Prevention Levels and Strategies Practice Questions

44 multiple-choice questions on Prevention levels and strategies for paramedic and EMT students, from Chapter 3 (Public Health). Read each question, pick your answer, then tap Show answer to check it and read the explanation.

44 practice questions

1. Primary prevention aims to:

   1. A. Track disease trends across a population
   2. B. Restore function after an injury heals
   3. C. Limit damage once an illness has begun
   4. D. Prevent illness or injury entirely
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Prevent illness or injury entirely

   Swimming lessons, helmets, and vaccination are primary prevention. The goal is that the event never occurs.

2. Secondary prevention aims to:

   1. A. Detect and limit harm early in its course
   2. B. Educate the public about health risks
   3. C. Restore function lost to disease or injury
   4. D. Prevent the event from happening at all
   Show answer

   Answer: A. Detect and limit harm early in its course

   Screening programs and rapid treatment of stroke are examples.

3. Tertiary prevention aims to:

   1. A. Detect disease early through screening
   2. B. Reduce disability and prevent recurrence
   3. C. Prevent the first occurrence of a disease
   4. D. Enforce safety laws in the community
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Reduce disability and prevent recurrence

   Cardiac rehabilitation is a classic example.

4. Passive interventions are generally more effective than active ones because they:

   1. A. Cost less to deliver than education
   2. B. Are backed by federal legal mandates
   3. C. Rely on public education campaigns
   4. D. Protect without repeated action
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Protect without repeated action

   Airbags work automatically; seat belts require a decision every trip. They protect people without requiring a decision each time.

5. Which is an example of a passive intervention?

   1. A. A helmet giveaway
   2. B. A driver education class
   3. C. Automobile airbags
   4. D. A seat belt campaign
   Show answer

   Answer: C. Automobile airbags

   Child-resistant medication caps and sprinkler systems are others.

6. The three E's of injury prevention are:

   1. A. Emergency, escape, and evaluation
   2. B. Education, enforcement, and engineering
   3. C. Exposure, event, and environmental effect
   4. D. Evidence, ethics, and evaluation
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   Answer: B. Education, enforcement, and engineering

   The most successful programs combine all three. Engineering is sometimes called environment.

7. The Haddon matrix organizes prevention strategies by:

   1. A. Event phase and host, agent, environment
   2. B. The cost and benefit of each intervention
   3. C. Urban versus rural settings of each injury
   4. D. Age, sex, and other traits of each patient
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   Answer: A. Event phase and host, agent, environment

   It helps a program find opportunities beyond just educating the person. The phases are pre-event, event, and post-event.

8. A teachable moment is:

   1. A. A scheduled community safety class
   2. B. The window right after an incident
   3. C. A training session on a new protocol
   4. D. A quality improvement case review
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   Answer: B. The window right after an incident

   A fall or a near-miss crash opens that window briefly. Patients and families are most open to safety advice then.

9. Legislation such as seat belt and helmet laws works mainly through:

   1. A. Engineering changes to vehicles and safety gear
   2. B. Enforcement that changes behavior over time
   3. C. Surveillance systems that track injury trends
   4. D. Public education explaining why the law exists
   Show answer

   Answer: B. Enforcement that changes behavior over time

   Enforcement raises compliance far beyond voluntary use.

10. A prevention program is most likely to succeed when it:

    1. A. Targets everyone equally regardless of risk
    2. B. Centers on one large public safety event
    3. C. Relies on education as its only strategy
    4. D. Is data-driven, targeted, and evaluated
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Is data-driven, targeted, and evaluated

    Data selects the target; evaluation shows whether it worked. It should rest on local data and aim at a specific risk group.

11. Evaluating a prevention program requires:

    1. A. Measuring whether the outcome changed
    2. B. Confirming that the planned activities took place
    3. C. Counting how many people attended each session
    4. D. Collecting personal stories from participants
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Measuring whether the outcome changed

    Attendance is an output; injury reduction is the outcome.

12. Injury is considered a preventable public health problem because injuries:

    1. A. Follow predictable, changeable patterns
    2. B. Are mostly random and unpredictable events
    3. C. Cannot be reliably tracked or measured
    4. D. Affect only a few high-risk groups
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Follow predictable, changeable patterns

    The word accident is avoided for this reason. Known strategies can change those patterns.

13. Which EMS activity is primary prevention?

    1. A. Giving aspirin to a patient having an MI
    2. B. Installing smoke alarms in homes that have none
    3. C. Referring a stroke survivor to rehabilitation
    4. D. Screening blood pressure at a health fair
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Installing smoke alarms in homes that have none

    Primary prevention keeps the event from ever happening, and a working smoke alarm prevents fire deaths. Aspirin during an MI limits harm once the event has started, which is secondary prevention. Rehabilitation after a stroke reduces disability, which is tertiary prevention. Blood pressure screening finds disease early, which is secondary prevention.

14. Immunization is an example of:

    1. A. Primary prevention
    2. B. Secondary prevention
    3. C. Tertiary prevention
    4. D. Treatment
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Primary prevention

    It prevents the disease entirely.

15. Teaching young children to swim before they spend time around water is an example of:

    1. A. Tertiary prevention
    2. B. Injury surveillance
    3. C. Secondary prevention
    4. D. Primary prevention
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Primary prevention

    Primary prevention stops an injury from happening at all. Secondary prevention limits harm once an event occurs, and tertiary prevention reduces long-term disability through treatment and rehabilitation.

16. Blood pressure screening is an example of:

    1. A. Primary prevention
    2. B. Health promotion only
    3. C. Secondary prevention
    4. D. Tertiary prevention
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Secondary prevention

    It detects disease early.

17. Physical therapy after a stroke is:

    1. A. Screening
    2. B. Tertiary prevention
    3. C. Secondary prevention
    4. D. Primary prevention
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Tertiary prevention

    It reduces long-term disability.

18. Which strategy requires the least action from the individual?

    1. A. Visible enforcement of safety laws
    2. B. Passive protection such as airbags
    3. C. Public education campaigns
    4. D. One-on-one safety counseling
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Passive protection such as airbags

    It works regardless of behavior. Fluoridated water is another example.

19. Active interventions depend on:

    1. A. Design of the environment
    2. B. Individual action each time
    3. C. Legislation and its enforcement
    4. D. Engineering built into products
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Individual action each time

    Seat belts require buckling every trip. The person must act every time protection is needed.

20. Which best illustrates the education strategy?

    1. A. Passing a bicycle helmet law
    2. B. Requiring fences around home pools
    3. C. Mandating child-resistant medicine caps
    4. D. Teaching parents safe sleep practices
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Teaching parents safe sleep practices

    Education works best combined with other strategies.

21. Which best illustrates the enforcement strategy?

    1. A. Checkpoints for impaired driving
    2. B. Home safety visits by paramedics
    3. C. Running public service announcements
    4. D. Crash-tested vehicle design
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Checkpoints for impaired driving

    Visible enforcement changes behavior.

22. Which best illustrates the engineering strategy?

    1. A. Fines for speeding through highway work zones
    2. B. Pamphlets that describe safe driving habits
    3. C. Defensive driving classes for new drivers
    4. D. Guardrails and breakaway signposts
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Guardrails and breakaway signposts

    Design changes protect without requiring compliance.

23. The Haddon matrix was developed to:

    1. A. Set safety standards for ambulance design
    2. B. Rank hospitals by trauma outcomes
    3. C. Guide the treatment of trauma patients
    4. D. Organize injury prevention strategies
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Organize injury prevention strategies

    William Haddon applied it to motor vehicle crashes. It lays strategies across phases and factors.

24. In the Haddon matrix, the pre-event phase includes:

    1. A. Definitive care at a trauma center
    2. B. Rehabilitation after discharge
    3. C. Factors such as impaired driving
    4. D. Emergency medical care at the scene
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Factors such as impaired driving

    Prevention of the event itself. These factors influence whether the event happens at all.

25. In the Haddon matrix, the event phase includes:

    1. A. Driver education before a trip
    2. B. Factors such as seat belt use
    3. C. Rehabilitation of the injured
    4. D. EMS response after the crash
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Factors such as seat belt use

    Protection during the crash. These factors determine injury severity during the event.

26. In the Haddon matrix, the post-event phase includes:

    1. A. Crashworthy vehicle design
    2. B. Driver licensing requirements
    3. C. Speed limits on the roadway
    4. D. EMS response and trauma care
    Show answer

    Answer: D. EMS response and trauma care

    This is where EMS traditionally operates. These factors affect outcome after the event.

27. The host factor in the Haddon matrix refers to:

    1. A. The weather conditions
    2. B. The person at risk
    3. C. The vehicle involved
    4. D. The road surface
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    Answer: B. The person at risk

    Age, skill, and intoxication are host factors.

28. The physical environment factor in the Haddon matrix includes:

    1. A. Traffic laws and social norms
    2. B. Road design, lighting, and weather
    3. C. Vehicle type and mechanical condition
    4. D. Driver age and driving experience
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Road design, lighting, and weather

    Engineering often targets it.

29. The social environment factor includes:

    1. A. Laws, norms, and enforcement
    2. B. Road surfaces and lighting
    3. C. Vehicle crash-safety design
    4. D. Driver age and skill level
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Laws, norms, and enforcement

    Culture around drinking and driving is an example.

30. Which prevention strategy most reduced motor vehicle deaths over the past decades?

    1. A. Improved trauma care at hospitals
    2. B. Expanded driver education in high schools
    3. C. Faster EMS response and transport times
    4. D. Combined engineering, laws, and enforcement
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Combined engineering, laws, and enforcement

    Deaths per mile fell dramatically. Vehicle engineering, road design, laws, and enforcement worked together.

31. Graduated driver licensing is an example of:

    1. A. An education strategy for new drivers
    2. B. A form of tertiary prevention
    3. C. An engineering strategy for vehicles
    4. D. A legislative strategy for new drivers
    Show answer

    Answer: D. A legislative strategy for new drivers

    It reduces teen crash rates. It limits risk exposure, such as night driving and teen passengers.

32. Child-resistant medication packaging is an example of:

    1. A. An education intervention for parents
    2. B. A secondary prevention screening measure
    3. C. A passive engineering intervention
    4. D. An enforcement intervention by police
    Show answer

    Answer: C. A passive engineering intervention

    It reduced childhood poisoning deaths significantly.

33. Which is a limitation of education-only prevention programs?

    1. A. They cost more than engineering solutions
    2. B. They cannot reach high-risk groups
    3. C. Knowledge often fails to change behavior
    4. D. They require new legislation before starting
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Knowledge often fails to change behavior

    Most people know seat belts work. Education can be aimed at high-risk groups; the problem is that knowing often does not change behavior.

34. The most effective prevention programs typically:

    1. A. Target adults rather than young children
    2. B. Rely mainly on mass media awareness campaigns
    3. C. Rely on one well-chosen strategy at a time
    4. D. Combine several strategies together
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Combine several strategies together

    Each strategy reinforces the others. Education, enforcement, and engineering each reinforce the others.

35. Prevention programs should be tailored to:

    1. A. Whatever grant funding is available
    2. B. National averages for injury rates
    3. C. Local data on who is injured and how
    4. D. The preferences of agency leadership
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Local data on who is injured and how

    Rural and urban problems differ. Data should show who is injured, how, and where.

36. A bike helmet giveaway reports these results after one year. Which one best shows that the program worked?

    1. A. 2,000 helmets were handed out at schools
    2. B. Head injuries in local child cyclists fell by 30%
    3. C. Local news covered the program three times
    4. D. Parents rated the events 4.8 out of 5
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Head injuries in local child cyclists fell by 30%

    The program's goal is fewer head injuries, so a drop in that injury rate is the outcome measure. Helmets handed out is an output: it shows activity, not effect. Media coverage and satisfaction scores say nothing about injuries.

37. You treat a 4-year-old for a minor scalp cut after he climbed a bookcase that tipped over. The child is fine. Which action best uses this teachable moment?

    1. A. Mail the family a safety brochure about furniture next month
    2. B. Mention furniture safety only if the parents ask about it
    3. C. Document the mechanism and say nothing, to avoid blame
    4. D. Show the parents how to anchor furniture before you leave
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Show the parents how to anchor furniture before you leave

    Right after an injury or near miss, families are most open to safety advice, and specific, practical advice works best. Anchoring furniture prevents tip-over injuries, which can be fatal to young children. A brochure next month misses the moment. Waiting to be asked, or saying nothing, wastes it.

38. Counseling about helmet use after a bicycle crash is an example of:

    1. A. Secondary prevention through screening
    2. B. Tertiary prevention after an injury
    3. C. Enforcement of local helmet laws
    4. D. Primary prevention at a teachable moment
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Primary prevention at a teachable moment

    It aims to prevent the next injury.

39. Which is an example of tertiary prevention relevant to EMS?

    1. A. Fall risk screening of older adults
    2. B. Cardiac rehab referral after an MI
    3. C. Influenza vaccination clinics
    4. D. Child car seat inspections
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Cardiac rehab referral after an MI

    It reduces recurrence and disability.

40. A prevention program that produces no measurable effect should be:

    1. A. Kept but given more publicity
    2. B. Continued, since effort itself has value
    3. C. Revised or replaced after review
    4. D. Expanded to reach more people
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Revised or replaced after review

    Resources should go where they work. Re-evaluate it first to learn why it failed.

41. Which population benefits most from fall prevention programs?

    1. A. Workers in construction trades
    2. B. High school and college athletes
    3. C. Older adults with prior falls
    4. D. Toddlers and young children
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Older adults with prior falls

    Targeting raises effectiveness. Medication risks also raise priority.

42. Universal prevention programs target:

    1. A. Groups identified as high risk
    2. B. Everyone, regardless of risk
    3. C. People already showing early signs
    4. D. Health care workers and responders
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Everyone, regardless of risk

    Fluoridation is universal.

43. Selective prevention targets:

    1. A. People already showing signs
    2. B. Health care providers
    3. C. Groups at increased risk
    4. D. The entire population
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    Answer: C. Groups at increased risk

    Fall programs for older adults are selective.

44. Indicated prevention targets:

    1. A. Individuals showing early signs
    2. B. The general population as a whole
    3. C. Low-risk groups in the community
    4. D. Groups known to be at increased risk
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Individuals showing early signs

    Counseling a patient after a first overdose is indicated prevention. It also covers individuals at very high personal risk.