NEET PG Social and Preventive Medicine Syllabus

Social and Preventive Medicine syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Social and Preventive Medicine in NEET PG, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   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
2. 2

   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
3. 3

   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
4. 4

   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
5. 5

   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
6. 6

   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
7. 7

   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
8. 8

   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
9. 9

   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
10. 10

    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

Social and Preventive Medicine flashcards for NEET PG

18 of 51 cards from the Social and Preventive Medicine deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is Social and Preventive Medicine (SPM), and what are its three core aims?

   SPM is the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health and efficiency through organized community efforts. Its core aims are health promotion, disease prevention, and prolonging quality life across populations.

2. What are the four levels of disease prevention in SPM, with an example of each?

   Primordial (prevent risk factors emerging, e.g. healthy lifestyle promotion), Primary (prevent disease onset, e.g. immunization), Secondary (early detection/treatment, e.g. screening), and Tertiary (limit disability/rehabilitate, e.g. physiotherapy).

3. Whose work and what event are considered landmarks in the historical evolution of preventive medicine?

   John Snow's 1854 Broad Street cholera pump investigation founded modern epidemiology; Edward Jenner's 1796 smallpox vaccination founded immunization; and Edwin Chadwick's 1842 sanitary report launched the public health movement.

4. What are the four principles of Primary Health Care declared at Alma-Ata (1978)?

   Equitable distribution (universal access), community participation, intersectoral coordination, and appropriate technology. The goal was 'Health for All by 2000'.

5. What are the eight essential elements of Primary Health Care (Alma-Ata)?

   The 'ELEMENTS' mnemonic: Education on health, Local disease control, Expanded immunization, Maternal & child health/family planning, Essential drugs, Nutrition, Treatment of common diseases/injuries, and Safe water & sanitation.

6. Define epidemiology and name its three classic components (the epidemiological triad).

   Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states in populations and the application of this to disease control. The triad is Agent, Host, and Environment.

7. Differentiate incidence from prevalence, and give the relationship between them.

   Incidence = number of NEW cases over a period / population at risk (measures risk). Prevalence = ALL existing cases at a point / total population (measures burden). Relationship: Prevalence ≈ Incidence × mean Duration (P = I × D).

8. What is the difference between epidemic, endemic, pandemic, and sporadic disease occurrence?

   Endemic = constant usual presence in an area; Epidemic = cases clearly in excess of expected; Pandemic = epidemic across countries/continents; Sporadic = scattered, irregular occurrence.

9. List the main types of observational epidemiological studies in order of increasing evidence strength.

   Descriptive (case reports/series, cross-sectional/prevalence) provide lowest evidence; then analytical: case-control (retrospective), then cohort (prospective) studies. Experimental RCTs provide the strongest evidence.

10. Compare case-control and cohort studies on direction, time, and the measure of association used.

    Case-control: starts from disease, looks back at exposure, gives Odds Ratio; good for rare diseases, cheaper/faster. Cohort: starts from exposure, follows forward to disease, gives Relative Risk and incidence; good for rare exposures.

11. How is Relative Risk (RR) calculated and interpreted?

    RR = Incidence in exposed / Incidence in non-exposed = [a/(a+b)] / [c/(c+d)]. RR=1 no association; RR>1 increased risk; RR<1 protective.

12. How is the Odds Ratio (OR) calculated in a case-control study?

    OR = (a×d)/(b×c), the cross-product ratio of the 2×2 table (a=exposed cases, b=exposed controls, c=unexposed cases, d=unexposed controls). OR approximates RR when disease is rare.

13. Define Attributable Risk (AR) and Attributable Risk Percent.

    AR (Risk difference) = Incidence in exposed − Incidence in unexposed; it is the excess risk due to the exposure. AR% = (AR / Incidence in exposed) × 100, the proportion of disease in the exposed attributable to the exposure.

14. What are the steps in investigating a disease outbreak?

    Verify the diagnosis, confirm the epidemic exists, define and count cases, describe by time/place/person, formulate and test hypotheses, institute control measures, and report. Construct an epidemic curve to identify the pattern.

15. What does the shape of an epidemic curve indicate (point-source vs propagated)?

    A point-source (common-source) epidemic shows a single sharp peak with all cases within one incubation period. A propagated (person-to-person) epidemic shows a series of progressively taller peaks one incubation period apart.

16. Define sensitivity and specificity of a screening test.

    Sensitivity = ability to correctly identify those WITH disease = a/(a+c) (true positive rate). Specificity = ability to correctly identify those WITHOUT disease = d/(b+d) (true negative rate).

17. Define Positive Predictive Value (PPV) and how disease prevalence affects it.

    PPV = a/(a+b) = probability that a positive-test person truly has the disease. PPV rises as disease prevalence rises; in low-prevalence populations even a specific test gives many false positives, lowering PPV.

18. What are the WHO (Wilson-Jungner) criteria for a worthwhile screening programme?

    The disease should be an important, prevalent health problem with a recognizable latent stage and known natural history; a suitable, acceptable, safe test exists; effective treatment is available with agreed policy on whom to treat; facilities exist; and the programme is cost-effective and continuous.

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