1
Comprehensive Guide to Health, Disease & Prevention in Nursing
100 Practice Questions with Answers & Rationales
Section 1: Levels of Prevention (Questions 1–20)
1. A community health nurse organizes a free blood pressure screening at a local mall. This
is an example of which level of prevention?
A. Primordial
B. Primary
C. Secondary
D. Tertiary
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Blood pressure screening is secondary prevention—early disease detection to
diagnose conditions early and promptly treat them.
2. A nurse administers a childhood immunization at a well-child visit. This is an example of:
A. Primordial prevention
B. Primary prevention
C. Secondary prevention
D. Tertiary prevention
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Immunizations prevent disease from occurring—primary prevention.
3. A public health campaign increases taxes on cigarettes to reduce smoking rates across
the population. This is:
A. Primordial prevention
B. Primary prevention
C. Secondary prevention
D. Tertiary prevention
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Primordial prevention focuses on risk factor reduction for an entire population
through large social changes and national policy.
4. A client who experienced a myocardial infarction enrolls in cardiac rehabilitation. This is:
A. Primary prevention
B. Secondary prevention
C. Tertiary prevention
D. Quaternary prevention
,2
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Tertiary prevention aims to lessen the negative impact of a health condition and
prevent complications.
5. A clinician decides NOT to order antibiotics for a client with a viral upper respiratory
infection. This represents:
A. Primary prevention
B. Secondary prevention
C. Tertiary prevention
D. Quaternary prevention
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Quaternary prevention protects clients from health interventions that might
cause more harm than good.
6. A mammogram for early detection of breast cancer is:
A. Primary prevention
B. Secondary prevention
C. Tertiary prevention
D. Quaternary prevention
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Mammograms are secondary prevention—screening for early disease detection.
7. Tobacco cessation public education sessions are:
A. Primordial prevention
B. Primary prevention
C. Secondary prevention
D. Tertiary prevention
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Tobacco cessation education is primary prevention—preventing disease from
occurring.
8. Occupational therapy for a client who experienced a cerebrovascular accident is:
A. Primary prevention
B. Secondary prevention
C. Tertiary prevention
D. Quaternary prevention
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Occupational therapy after stroke is tertiary prevention—reducing disability and
preventing complications.
9. Free testing for people exposed to COVID-19 is:
A. Primary prevention
, 3
B. Secondary prevention
C. Tertiary prevention
D. Quaternary prevention
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Testing exposed individuals for early detection is secondary prevention.
10. Support groups for substance use disorders in local churches are:
A. Primary prevention
B. Secondary prevention
C. Tertiary prevention
D. Quaternary prevention
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Support groups for existing disorders are tertiary prevention—lessening negative
impact.
11. A nurse provides education about hospice care to a client diagnosed with terminal
illness. This is:
A. Primary prevention
B. Secondary prevention
C. Tertiary prevention
D. Quaternary prevention
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Education about hospice care is tertiary prevention—addressing the needs of
symptomatic clients.
12. Increased access to public walking paths and parks is an example of:
A. Primordial prevention
B. Primary prevention
C. Secondary prevention
D. Tertiary prevention
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Environmental changes that reduce population-level risk factors are primordial
prevention.
13. HIV testing for early detection is:
A. Primary prevention
B. Secondary prevention
C. Tertiary prevention
D. Quaternary prevention
Comprehensive Guide to Health, Disease & Prevention in Nursing
100 Practice Questions with Answers & Rationales
Section 1: Levels of Prevention (Questions 1–20)
1. A community health nurse organizes a free blood pressure screening at a local mall. This
is an example of which level of prevention?
A. Primordial
B. Primary
C. Secondary
D. Tertiary
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Blood pressure screening is secondary prevention—early disease detection to
diagnose conditions early and promptly treat them.
2. A nurse administers a childhood immunization at a well-child visit. This is an example of:
A. Primordial prevention
B. Primary prevention
C. Secondary prevention
D. Tertiary prevention
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Immunizations prevent disease from occurring—primary prevention.
3. A public health campaign increases taxes on cigarettes to reduce smoking rates across
the population. This is:
A. Primordial prevention
B. Primary prevention
C. Secondary prevention
D. Tertiary prevention
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Primordial prevention focuses on risk factor reduction for an entire population
through large social changes and national policy.
4. A client who experienced a myocardial infarction enrolls in cardiac rehabilitation. This is:
A. Primary prevention
B. Secondary prevention
C. Tertiary prevention
D. Quaternary prevention
,2
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Tertiary prevention aims to lessen the negative impact of a health condition and
prevent complications.
5. A clinician decides NOT to order antibiotics for a client with a viral upper respiratory
infection. This represents:
A. Primary prevention
B. Secondary prevention
C. Tertiary prevention
D. Quaternary prevention
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Quaternary prevention protects clients from health interventions that might
cause more harm than good.
6. A mammogram for early detection of breast cancer is:
A. Primary prevention
B. Secondary prevention
C. Tertiary prevention
D. Quaternary prevention
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Mammograms are secondary prevention—screening for early disease detection.
7. Tobacco cessation public education sessions are:
A. Primordial prevention
B. Primary prevention
C. Secondary prevention
D. Tertiary prevention
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Tobacco cessation education is primary prevention—preventing disease from
occurring.
8. Occupational therapy for a client who experienced a cerebrovascular accident is:
A. Primary prevention
B. Secondary prevention
C. Tertiary prevention
D. Quaternary prevention
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Occupational therapy after stroke is tertiary prevention—reducing disability and
preventing complications.
9. Free testing for people exposed to COVID-19 is:
A. Primary prevention
, 3
B. Secondary prevention
C. Tertiary prevention
D. Quaternary prevention
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Testing exposed individuals for early detection is secondary prevention.
10. Support groups for substance use disorders in local churches are:
A. Primary prevention
B. Secondary prevention
C. Tertiary prevention
D. Quaternary prevention
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Support groups for existing disorders are tertiary prevention—lessening negative
impact.
11. A nurse provides education about hospice care to a client diagnosed with terminal
illness. This is:
A. Primary prevention
B. Secondary prevention
C. Tertiary prevention
D. Quaternary prevention
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Education about hospice care is tertiary prevention—addressing the needs of
symptomatic clients.
12. Increased access to public walking paths and parks is an example of:
A. Primordial prevention
B. Primary prevention
C. Secondary prevention
D. Tertiary prevention
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Environmental changes that reduce population-level risk factors are primordial
prevention.
13. HIV testing for early detection is:
A. Primary prevention
B. Secondary prevention
C. Tertiary prevention
D. Quaternary prevention
