Primary, Secondary, & Tertiary Prevention Strategies
Primary Prevention
Seeks to prevent and implements an intervention before evidence of disease or injury. Also, reduces the risk of diseases before they occur by improving exposure to hazards and health or safety behaviors.
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Example of Implementation in My Community:
Community Registered Dietitian for Porrazza Nutrition provides nutrition education through community presentation events such as presenting on "How to Eat Healthy with Your Family" at Holy Family University. This particular presentation provided people in the community, especially families that signed up for the event, with nutrition information, tips and advice on how to keep their family healthy and ways to do so. This primary prevention strategy helped to encourage healthy eating behaviors, prevent the risk of chronic diseases/illnesses such as obesity, diabetes or cardiovascular disease amongst families and promote living a healthier lifestyle.
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Secondary Prevention
An intervention that is implemented after a disease or injury has begun/occurred. Identifying and treating the disease or injury through screening as soon as possible to prevent progression of the illness and recurrence. In which, programs are put into place to get people in the community back to their original health.
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Example of Implementation in My Community:
The ShopRite of Bayonne, NJ provides free monthly cholesterol and diabetes screenings for customers that provides instant results of their numbers. After the customer obtains their results, the retail Registered Dietitian evaluates the numbers to provide tips/advice regarding the results. In addition, the retail RD will host a food demo to give customers a sample of a healthy food choice that is diabetic friendly and low in unhealthy fats.
Tertiary Prevention
Aims to assist/aid an ongoing disease or injury after it has been established. Interventions require helping people manage their disorder for the long-term to stop it from getting worse and better their quality of life.
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Example of Implementation in My Community:
The private practice, Porrazza Nutrition implemented a free 2-week wellness program/package for their clients to help aid weight loss and information on how to obtain eating habits and increase physical activity. The package included daily newsletters, live videos, cooking demonstrations, recipes, and much more!
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The retail RD for the ShopRite of Bayonne, NJ connected with Riverside Medical Group in Secaucus, NJ to conduct a class for Diabetics in the community on how to control their blood sugar levels. The class included an informational presentation on diabetes, carbohydrate counting and instruction on how to use MyPlate. The retail RD and I did a cooking demonstration to show a healthy recipe an individual with diabetes can create and eat! The demo was on how to make an apple and farro salad and I gave the audience nutrition education by explaining the benefits of the ingredients used in the recipe.
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