Which type of prevention occurs before a condition arises?

Study for the Teaching + Learning (T+L) and Fundamentals of Physical Therapy (PT) Test. Enhance your knowledge with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with explanations. Prepare effectively for your exam!

Prevention efforts are organized by when they act in the disease process. Primary prevention aims to stop a condition from developing in the first place by reducing risk factors and boosting defenses. Examples include vaccines, healthy lifestyle choices, safety measures, and environmental changes that prevent disease from ever starting. In contrast, secondary prevention involves identifying a problem early through screening so treatment can prevent progression, tertiary prevention focuses on reducing damage and improving function after a disease is established, and quaternary prevention guards against overmedicalization and unnecessary interventions. So, the type of prevention that occurs before a condition arises is primary prevention.