Which level of prevention focuses on reducing complications in individuals with established disease?

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

Answer: (C)

In public health, prevention levels describe interventions along the disease course. Reducing complications in people who already have a disease is classic tertiary prevention. It aims to minimize damage, prevent disability, and improve function and quality of life through things like rehabilitation, ongoing disease management, and strategies to prevent further complications.

Primary prevention would try to stop the disease from developing in healthy individuals (such as vaccination or lifestyle changes). Secondary prevention focuses on early disease detection to prevent progression (like screening programs). Quaternary prevention concerns avoiding overmedicalization and unnecessary interventions. So the level that matches reducing complications in those with established disease is tertiary prevention.