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FMGE Social and Preventive Medicine Syllabus
The Social and Preventive Medicine syllabus for FMGE in full: 10 chapters, 38 topics and 116 sub-topics, every one listed below, plus 51 Social and Preventive Medicine flashcards with answers.
Social and Preventive Medicine syllabus: all 10 chapters
Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics.
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Introduction to Social and Preventive Medicine (SPM)
3 topics- Definition, scope, and importance of SPM in public health
- Historical perspective of public health and evolution of preventive medicine
- Principles of primary health care and the role of SPM in disease prevention and health promotion
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Epidemiology
4 topics- Basic concepts in epidemiology
- Disease frequency
- Measures of disease occurrence
- Measures of association
- Types of epidemiological studies
- Descriptive studies
- Analytical studies (case-control, cohort, and cross-sectional studies)
- Experimental studies
- Measures of disease spread and outbreak investigation
- Incidence
- Prevalence
- Attack rate
- Epidemic curve
- Steps in outbreak investigation
- Screening and diagnostic tests
- Sensitivity
- Specificity
- Predictive values
- Likelihood ratios
- Basic concepts in epidemiology
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Biostatistics
4 topics- Introduction to biostatistics
- Descriptive statistics
- Measures of central tendency
- Dispersion
- Normal distribution
- Probability and sampling
- Probability distributions
- Sampling techniques
- Sampling error
- Inferential statistics
- Hypothesis testing
- Confidence intervals
- t-tests
- chi-square tests
- Regression analysis
- Epidemiological software and data analysis
- Use of software packages for data management
- Analysis
- Presentation
- Introduction to biostatistics
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Health Information Systems
3 topics- Health information management
- Electronic health records (EHR)
- Health information exchange (HIE)
- Health data standards
- Disease surveillance systems
- National and international surveillance systems for monitoring disease trends, outbreaks, and epidemics
- Health indicators and health status assessment
- Measurement of population health indicators
- Morbidity and mortality rates
- Health-related quality of life
- Health information management
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Health Promotion and Education
4 topics- Health behavior theories
- Health belief model
- Social cognitive theory
- Stages of change model
- Health promotion strategies
- Community-based interventions
- Social marketing
- Health education campaigns
- Behavior change communication
- Health education methods
- Individual counseling
- Group education
- Community mobilization
- Mass media campaigns
- Community participation and empowerment
- Community organizing
- Participatory approaches
- Empowerment strategies for health promotion
- Health behavior theories
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Environmental Health
4 topics- Environmental health hazards
- Air pollution
- Water pollution
- Soil contamination
- Occupational hazards
- Environmental epidemiology
- Investigation of environmental exposures and health outcomes
- Environmental risk assessment
- Environmental justice
- Environmental health regulations and policies
- Legislation
- Standards
- Regulatory agencies for environmental protection
- Climate change and health
- Impact of climate change on health
- Adaptation strategies
- Mitigation measures
- Environmental health hazards
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Nutrition and Public Health
4 topics- Nutritional epidemiology
- Assessment of dietary intake
- Assessment of nutritional status
- Nutritional determinants of health
- Malnutrition and Nutritional Deficiencies
- Types of malnutrition
- Micronutrient deficiencies
- Nutritional interventions
- Public Health Nutrition Programs
- Food fortification
- Supplementation
- Nutrition education
- School feeding programs
- Obesity and Chronic Diseases
- Epidemiology of obesity
- Diet-related chronic diseases
- Obesity prevention strategies
- Nutritional epidemiology
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Maternal and Child Health
4 topics- Maternal and child health indicators
- Maternal mortality rate
- Infant mortality rate
- Under-five mortality rate
- Neonatal mortality rate
- Antenatal care and safe motherhood
- Maternal health services
- Prenatal screening
- Prevention of maternal and neonatal complications
- Child health services
- Immunization programs
- Growth monitoring
- Nutritional supplementation
- Child development services
- Adolescent health
- Adolescent-friendly health services
- Reproductive health education
- Prevention of adolescent risk behaviors
- Maternal and child health indicators
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Occupational Health
4 topics- Occupational health hazards
- Physical hazards in the workplace
- Chemical hazards in the workplace
- Biological hazards in the workplace
- Psychosocial hazards in the workplace
- Occupational diseases
- Types of occupational diseases
- Surveillance of occupational diseases
- Prevention measures for occupational diseases
- Occupational safety and health regulations
- Occupational safety standards
- Workplace safety programs
- Occupational health and safety management systems
- Ergonomics and workplace wellness
- Design of ergonomic workspaces
- Prevention of musculoskeletal disorders
- Promotion of employee health and well-being
- Occupational health hazards
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Health Policy and Management
4 topics- Health policy development
- Policy formulation
- Policy implementation
- Policy evaluation in public health
- Health systems and services
- Structure of health systems
- Organization of health services
- Delivery of health services at national, regional, and local levels
- Health financing and health insurance
- Models of health financing
- Health insurance schemes
- Health expenditure analysis
- Health governance and leadership
- Role of governments in health governance
- Role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in health governance
- Role of international agencies in health leadership
- Health policy development
FMGE Social and Preventive Medicine flashcards — 51 questions with answers
Define Social and Preventive Medicine (SPM/Community Medicine).
The branch of medicine that deals with prevention of disease, promotion of health, and prolongation of life among groups/communities through organized community efforts, addressing the social, environmental, and economic determinants of health rather than individual curative care.
What are the three levels of prevention, and give an example of each?
Primary (health promotion + specific protection, e.g., immunization), Secondary (early diagnosis + prompt treatment, e.g., screening), Tertiary (disability limitation + rehabilitation, e.g., physiotherapy after stroke).
Name Leavell and Clark's five 'modes of intervention' across the natural history of disease.
Health promotion, Specific protection, Early diagnosis & treatment, Disability limitation, and Rehabilitation.
What is primordial prevention?
Prevention of the emergence of risk factors in populations where they have not yet appeared, mainly through health education and lifestyle measures (e.g., preventing smoking initiation or unhealthy diet in childhood).
Who is regarded as the 'father of epidemiology' and for what landmark work?
John Snow, for his investigation of the 1854 Broad Street cholera outbreak in London, linking cholera to contaminated water from the Broad Street pump (a classic field epidemiology study).
What are the four components of the WHO definition of health (1948)?
A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (with spiritual well-being often added later).
What are the eight essential elements of Primary Health Care (Alma-Ata, 1978)?
Education on health problems, food supply & nutrition, safe water & sanitation, maternal & child health (incl. family planning), immunization, prevention/control of local endemic diseases, treatment of common diseases/injuries, and provision of essential drugs.
State the four principles of Primary Health Care.
Equitable distribution, Community participation, Intersectoral coordination, and Appropriate technology.
What slogan and target year were set at the Alma-Ata conference?
'Health for All by the year 2000' through Primary Health Care.
Define epidemiology.
The study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations, and the application of this study to control health problems.
What are the three components of the epidemiological triad?
Agent, Host, and Environment, whose interaction determines disease occurrence.
Differentiate incidence and prevalence.
Incidence = number of NEW cases occurring in a defined population over a specified period. Prevalence = number of ALL existing (old + new) cases at a point (point prevalence) or period in time. Prevalence ≈ Incidence × Duration.
Give the formula for incidence rate.
Incidence rate = (Number of new cases during a period / Population at risk during that period) × 1000 (or other base).
Classify epidemiological studies into their two broad categories.
Observational (descriptive: case report, case series, cross-sectional/prevalence; and analytical: case-control, cohort, ecological) and Experimental/Interventional (RCT, field trials, community trials).
Compare the direction of inquiry in cohort vs case-control studies.
Cohort: starts with exposure → follows forward to outcome (prospective, measures incidence, gives relative risk). Case-control: starts with disease → looks backward for exposure (retrospective, gives odds ratio).
Which study design provides the strongest evidence for causation and why?
The randomized controlled trial (RCT), because randomization balances known and unknown confounders, allowing causal inference; it sits at the top of the analytical study hierarchy.
Define and give the formula for Relative Risk (RR).
RR = Incidence of disease in exposed / Incidence in non-exposed = [a/(a+b)] / [c/(c+d)]. RR>1 indicates increased risk; obtained from cohort studies.
Define and give the formula for Odds Ratio (OR).
OR = (a×d)/(b×c), the cross-product ratio of a 2×2 table; it estimates relative risk in case-control studies, especially when disease is rare.
Define attributable risk (AR).
AR = Incidence in exposed − Incidence in non-exposed; it is the amount of disease incidence attributable to the exposure and indicates potential benefit of removing the exposure.
Differentiate epidemic, endemic, and pandemic.
Endemic = constant/usual presence of a disease in an area. Epidemic = occurrence clearly in excess of expected for that area/time. Pandemic = an epidemic spread over several countries/continents affecting large numbers.
Show the other 31 Social and Preventive Medicine flashcards
List the key steps in investigating a disease outbreak.
Verify the diagnosis, confirm the existence of an epidemic, define & count cases, describe by time/place/person, formulate & test hypotheses, draw conclusions, and implement control + report findings.
Define sensitivity and specificity of a screening test.
Sensitivity = ability to correctly identify those WITH disease = a/(a+c) (true positives among diseased). Specificity = ability to correctly identify those WITHOUT disease = d/(b+d) (true negatives among non-diseased).
Define positive predictive value (PPV) and what affects it.
PPV = a/(a+b) = probability that a person with a positive test truly has the disease. PPV rises with higher disease prevalence (and higher specificity).
What are Wilson and Jungner's key criteria for a screening programme?
The condition should be an important health problem, have a recognizable latent stage, a suitable & acceptable test, an accepted treatment, available facilities, agreed policy on whom to treat, and the cost should be economically balanced; screening should be a continuing process.
Define mean, median, and mode.
Mean = arithmetic average (sum/number). Median = middle value when data are ordered. Mode = most frequently occurring value. The mean is best for normal data; the median is preferred for skewed data.
What is standard deviation and what does it measure?
Standard deviation (SD) is the square root of the variance; it measures the dispersion/spread of individual observations around the mean. In a normal distribution, ~68% of values lie within ±1 SD, ~95% within ±2 SD, ~99.7% within ±3 SD.
Differentiate qualitative and quantitative data with subtypes.
Qualitative (categorical): nominal (no order, e.g., blood group) and ordinal (ordered, e.g., severity grades). Quantitative (numerical): discrete (counts) and continuous (measurable, e.g., weight, height).
List common probability (random) sampling methods.
Simple random sampling, Systematic sampling, Stratified sampling, Cluster sampling, and Multistage sampling.
What is a normal (Gaussian) distribution and its key features?
A symmetric, bell-shaped distribution where mean = median = mode, defined by mean and SD; ~68%/95%/99.7% of values fall within 1/2/3 SDs of the mean.
Define a null hypothesis and a p-value.
Null hypothesis (H0) states there is no difference/association. The p-value is the probability of obtaining the observed (or more extreme) result if H0 were true; p<0.05 is conventionally taken as statistically significant (reject H0).
Differentiate Type I and Type II errors.
Type I error (α) = rejecting a true null hypothesis (false positive). Type II error (β) = failing to reject a false null hypothesis (false negative). Power of a study = 1 − β.
Which statistical test compares means of two groups, and which compares proportions?
Student's t-test compares means of two groups (ANOVA for >2 means). Chi-square test compares proportions/categorical data between groups.
Name commonly used software for epidemiological data analysis.
Epi Info (CDC, free), SPSS, STATA, SAS, R, and Microsoft Excel; Epi Info is widely used for outbreak investigation and field epidemiology.
Define health information and list its key sources in India.
Health information is organized data on health status used for planning/decision-making. Sources include census, civil registration (births/deaths), sample registration system (SRS), notification of diseases, hospital records, disease registries, and national health surveys (NFHS).
What is the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) in India?
A decentralized, state-based surveillance system (launched 2004) to detect and respond to early warning signals of disease outbreaks; data flow weekly through S (suspected), P (presumptive/clinical), and L (lab-confirmed) reporting forms.
Differentiate active and passive surveillance.
Passive surveillance: health facilities routinely report cases to authorities (cheaper, underreports). Active surveillance: authorities actively seek case data from providers/communities (more complete, costlier), used in outbreaks and eradication programmes.
State the formula for the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR).
IMR = (Number of infant deaths (<1 year) during a year / Number of live births in the same year) × 1000. It is a sensitive indicator of community health and socioeconomic development.
State the formula for Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR).
MMR = (Number of maternal deaths / Number of live births) × 100,000. A maternal death is death during pregnancy or within 42 days of termination from pregnancy-related causes.
What are the components of the Health Belief Model (HBM)?
Perceived susceptibility, Perceived severity, Perceived benefits, Perceived barriers, Cues to action, and Self-efficacy — explaining health-related behavior change.
Name the stages of the Transtheoretical (Stages of Change) Model.
Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance (and sometimes Relapse) — describing readiness to change behavior.
What are the five action areas of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (1986)?
Build healthy public policy, Create supportive environments, Strengthen community action, Develop personal skills, and Reorient health services.
Compare individual, group, and mass approaches in health education.
Individual (personal contact/counselling—most effective, tailored, limited reach), Group (lectures, demonstrations, discussions—moderate reach), Mass media (TV, radio, posters—widest reach but least personal/persuasive). Combining methods is most effective.
What is community participation/empowerment in public health?
The active involvement of the community in planning, implementing, and evaluating health programmes, enabling people to gain control over the determinants of their health; a core principle of Primary Health Care.
List the major categories of environmental health hazards.
Physical (radiation, heat, noise), Chemical (heavy metals, pesticides, pollutants), Biological (bacteria, viruses, vectors), Mechanical (injuries), and Psychosocial (stress) hazards.
What are the acceptable WHO/standard limits for residual chlorine and a clear water turbidity?
Free residual chlorine should be ~0.5 mg/L after 1 hour of contact for safe drinking water; turbidity should ideally be below 1 NTU (and not exceed 5 NTU).
Name the key greenhouse gases and a major health effect of climate change.
Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and water vapour. Health effects include heat-related illness, expansion of vector-borne diseases (malaria, dengue), food/water insecurity, and respiratory disease from air pollution.
What is the calorie requirement and the protein RDA for a reference Indian adult (ICMR)?
Reference adult man (sedentary) ~2110–2320 kcal/day; protein RDA ~0.8–1 g/kg body weight/day (≈ 1 g/kg). Requirements vary with activity, pregnancy, and lactation.
Differentiate marasmus and kwashiorkor.
Marasmus: severe energy (calorie) deficiency—gross wasting, no edema, marked weight loss, 'old man' face. Kwashiorkor: protein deficiency—edema, hepatomegaly, hair/skin changes, with relatively preserved subcutaneous fat. Both are forms of protein-energy malnutrition (PEM).
Name two major national nutrition programmes in India.
Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme (supplementary nutrition, immunization, health checkup, preschool education for under-6s and pregnant/lactating women) and the National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme; also the Mid-Day Meal Scheme and Vitamin A prophylaxis programme.
What are the components of antenatal care and the recommended minimum number of ANC visits?
ANC includes registration, history/exam, weight & BP monitoring, abdominal exam, anemia/lab tests, TT immunization, iron-folic acid supplementation, and counselling. WHO recommends at least 8 ANC contacts (India's earlier norm was a minimum of 4 visits).
What occupational lung disease is caused by silica dust, and what term describes the broad category of dust-induced lung diseases?
Silica (silicon dioxide) dust causes silicosis. The broad category of lung diseases caused by inhalation of dust is pneumoconiosis (e.g., silicosis, asbestosis, coal worker's pneumoconiosis/anthracosis, byssinosis from cotton dust).
Same Social and Preventive Medicine syllabus in other exams
The Social and Preventive Medicine outline above is identical in these 3 exams:
FMGE Social and Preventive Medicine FAQ
What is in the FMGE Social and Preventive Medicine syllabus?
FMGE Social and Preventive Medicine is split into 10 chapters: Introduction to Social and Preventive Medicine (SPM), Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Health Information Systems, Health Promotion and Education, Environmental Health, Nutrition and Public Health, Maternal and Child Health, Occupational Health and Health Policy and Management. Together they contain 38 topics and 116 sub-topics.
How many chapters are in FMGE Social and Preventive Medicine?
10 chapters, containing 38 topics and 116 sub-topics. The largest chapter is Epidemiology, with 4 topics.
Are there flashcards for FMGE Social and Preventive Medicine?
Yes — a 51-card Social and Preventive Medicine deck, printed in full in the flashcards section of this page and available in the Examius app with spaced repetition. The free plan covers one exam of your choice, including its flashcards; Examius Pro, a one-time purchase, unlocks every other exam and deck.