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🇮🇳 NEET PG · subject
NEET PG Social and Preventive Medicine Syllabus
The Social and Preventive Medicine syllabus for NEET PG 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
NEET PG Social and Preventive Medicine flashcards — 51 questions with answers
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.
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).
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.
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'.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
What is lead-time bias in screening?
Lead-time bias is the apparent increase in survival time that occurs merely because screening advances the time of diagnosis, without actually postponing death; survival is measured from an earlier point.
Define mean, median, and mode, and state which is best for skewed data.
Mean = arithmetic average; Median = middle value when data are ordered; Mode = most frequent value. For skewed (non-normal) data the median is the best measure of central tendency, as the mean is distorted by outliers.
Show the other 31 Social and Preventive Medicine flashcards
What is standard deviation, and what proportions of a normal distribution fall within ±1, ±2, and ±3 SD?
SD measures the average dispersion of values around the mean. In a normal curve, ±1 SD covers ~68.3%, ±2 SD covers ~95.4% (≈95% within ±1.96 SD), and ±3 SD covers ~99.7% of observations.
Differentiate the standard deviation from the standard error of the mean (SEM).
SD measures variability of individual observations; SEM measures the precision of the sample mean as an estimate of the population mean. SEM = SD / √n, so SEM shrinks as sample size increases.
Distinguish probability (random) sampling from non-probability sampling, with examples.
Probability sampling gives every unit a known non-zero chance (simple random, systematic, stratified, cluster, multistage) and allows generalization. Non-probability sampling (convenience, quota, purposive, snowball) is prone to selection bias and not generalizable.
What is stratified sampling and when is it preferred?
The population is divided into homogeneous subgroups (strata, e.g. by age or sex) and a random sample is drawn from each. It is preferred when the population is heterogeneous, ensuring representation of all subgroups and improving precision.
What is a Type I and a Type II error in hypothesis testing?
Type I error (alpha) = rejecting a true null hypothesis (false positive). Type II error (beta) = failing to reject a false null hypothesis (false negative). Power = 1 − beta.
What does a p-value represent, and what is the conventional cut-off for significance?
The p-value is the probability of obtaining results as extreme as observed if the null hypothesis were true. By convention p < 0.05 is considered statistically significant, meaning the result is unlikely due to chance alone.
Which statistical test is used to compare two means, and which to compare proportions/categorical data?
Student's t-test compares two means (paired t-test for matched data); ANOVA compares three or more means. The Chi-square test compares proportions/categorical (qualitative) data.
What is the difference between correlation and regression, and the range of the correlation coefficient?
Correlation measures the strength and direction of a linear association between two variables; the coefficient r ranges from −1 to +1. Regression predicts the value of one (dependent) variable from another (independent) variable using a line equation.
Name commonly used epidemiological/statistical software for public health data analysis.
Epi Info (CDC, free, outbreak analysis), SPSS, STATA, SAS, R (free, open-source), and GIS tools like QGIS/ArcGIS for spatial mapping of disease.
What are the components and uses of a Health Information System (HIS)?
An HIS collects, processes, analyses, and disseminates health data (vital statistics, disease notifications, service records). It supports planning, monitoring, evaluation, resource allocation, and evidence-based decision-making.
What is disease surveillance and what are its two main types?
Surveillance is the continuous, systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of health data for action. Active surveillance = health workers actively seek cases; Passive surveillance = providers report cases routinely (less complete but cheaper).
What is the IDSP and the purpose of sentinel surveillance?
IDSP (Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, India) detects early warning signals of outbreaks for rapid response. Sentinel surveillance uses selected reporting sites to monitor trends of specific diseases when full population coverage is impractical.
What is the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), its formula, and why is it a sensitive health indicator?
IMR = (deaths under 1 year in a year / live births in that year) × 1000. It is a sensitive index of a population's overall health, socioeconomic development, and quality of maternal-child health services.
List the major categories of health status indicators per WHO.
Mortality indicators (IMR, MMR, life expectancy), morbidity indicators (incidence, prevalence), disability indicators (DALY, QALY), nutritional status, health-care delivery, utilization, and socioeconomic indicators.
What is a DALY and what does it combine?
DALY (Disability-Adjusted Life Year) = one lost year of healthy life. DALY = Years of Life Lost due to premature death (YLL) + Years Lived with Disability (YLD). It quantifies overall disease burden.
Name the key behavioural-change theories used in health promotion.
Health Belief Model (perceived susceptibility/severity/benefits/barriers), Transtheoretical/Stages of Change Model, Theory of Planned Behaviour, Social Cognitive Theory (self-efficacy), and the PRECEDE-PROCEED planning model.
What are the five action areas of health promotion in the Ottawa Charter (1986)?
Build healthy public policy, create supportive environments, strengthen community action, develop personal skills, and reorient health services toward prevention and promotion.
Compare individual, group, and mass approaches in health education with their reach and effectiveness.
Individual (counselling) — high impact, personalized, low reach. Group (lectures, demonstrations, panel) — moderate reach, allows interaction. Mass media (TV, radio, posters) — widest reach but low individual impact; best for raising awareness.
What is community participation and empowerment in public health?
Community participation is the active involvement of people in planning, implementing, and evaluating their own health programmes. Empowerment is the process enabling communities to gain control over decisions and resources affecting their health (a core Alma-Ata principle).
Classify the main types of environmental health hazards.
Physical (heat, radiation, noise), Chemical (heavy metals, pesticides, pollutants), Biological (pathogens, vectors), Mechanical (accidents), Psychosocial (stress), and Social (overcrowding, poor housing).
What is environmental epidemiology and a classic example of its application?
It studies the effect of environmental exposures (air/water/soil pollution, radiation) on population health. Classic examples: Minamata disease (methylmercury), Bhopal gas disaster (methyl isocyanate), and fluorosis from high-fluoride water.
Name key environmental health regulations/policies in India.
The Environment (Protection) Act 1986, Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act 1974, Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act 1981, and standards set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
What are the major health effects of climate change?
Increased heat-related illness/deaths, expanded range of vector-borne diseases (malaria, dengue), water- and food-borne diseases, malnutrition from crop failure, respiratory illness from air pollution, and displacement from extreme weather events.
What is nutritional epidemiology and the common methods of dietary assessment?
It studies the relationship between diet/nutrition and disease in populations. Dietary assessment methods include 24-hour recall, food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), food diary/record, and anthropometry combined with biochemical and clinical assessment.
Classify Protein-Energy Malnutrition (PEM): kwashiorkor vs marasmus.
Kwashiorkor = severe protein deficiency with adequate calories; features edema, fatty liver, skin/hair changes, weight 60–80% of normal. Marasmus = severe deficiency of both calories and protein; features gross wasting, no edema, weight <60% normal.
Name India's major public health nutrition programmes.
ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services), Mid-Day Meal Scheme, National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme, Vitamin A Prophylaxis Programme, National Iron Plus Initiative/Anaemia Mukt Bharat, and POSHAN Abhiyaan.
How is Body Mass Index (BMI) calculated and what are the WHO classification cut-offs?
BMI = weight (kg) / height (m²). WHO: <18.5 underweight, 18.5–24.9 normal, 25–29.9 overweight, ≥30 obese. (Asian cut-offs are lower: overweight ≥23, obese ≥25.)
What is the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR), and how does it differ from the maternal mortality rate?
MMR (ratio) = (maternal deaths / live births) × 100,000 — the standard indicator of obstetric risk. The maternal mortality rate uses women of reproductive age as the denominator. WHO defines a maternal death as one during pregnancy or within 42 days of termination from related causes.
What is the recommended schedule and components of antenatal care under India's guidelines?
At least 4 (now 8 per WHO 2016) antenatal visits, with at least one in each trimester. Components: registration, history/exam, weight/BP/anaemia checks, TT/Td immunization, IFA and calcium supplementation, ultrasonography, and counselling on danger signs and nutrition.
List the key child-health interventions under IMNCI / Universal Immunization Programme in India.
Universal Immunization Programme vaccines (BCG, OPV/IPV, Pentavalent, Rotavirus, PCV, Measles-Rubella, JE, Td), exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months, ORS+zinc for diarrhoea, Vitamin A prophylaxis, growth monitoring, and management of pneumonia/sepsis under IMNCI.
Define the adolescent age group and name India's flagship adolescent health programme.
WHO defines adolescents as 10–19 years. India's flagship programme is RKSK (Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram), addressing nutrition, sexual & reproductive health, mental health, substance misuse, injuries/violence, and non-communicable diseases.
Same Social and Preventive Medicine syllabus in other exams
The Social and Preventive Medicine outline above is identical in these 3 exams:
NEET PG Social and Preventive Medicine FAQ
What is in the NEET PG Social and Preventive Medicine syllabus?
NEET PG 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 NEET PG 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 NEET PG 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.