JAWAHARLAL NEHRU TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY HYDERABAD B.Pharmacy IV SOCIAL AND PREVENTIVE PHARMACY Previous Question Paper (September - 2022 - R17)

Public health is defined as the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, communities, and individuals. It focuses on the entire population rather than individual patients.

Key concepts include:

• Health Promotion: Enabling people to increase control over and improve their health.
• Disease Prevention: Implementing primary (preventing onset), secondary (early detection/screening), and tertiary (rehabilitation) interventions.
• Epidemiology: The study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states in populations.
• Environmental Health: Addressing external physical, chemical, and biological factors affecting health.

Evaluation of public health programs is conducted through:

• Process Evaluation: Assessing whether program activities were implemented as planned.
• Impact Evaluation: Measuring immediate effects on target population knowledge, attitudes, or behaviors.
• Outcome Evaluation: Determining long-term changes in health status, such as morbidity and mortality rates.

Nutritional deficiencies occur when the body does not absorb or obtain the required amount of nutrients, leading to various health disorders. These are primarily classified into protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies.

• Protein-Energy Malnutrition (PEM): Includes Kwashiorkor (protein deficiency causing edema) and Marasmus (severe calorie deficiency causing wasting).
• Vitamin A Deficiency: Leads to xerophthalmia, night blindness, and increased susceptibility to infections.
• Iron Deficiency Anemia: The most common global deficiency, resulting in fatigue, weakness, and impaired cognitive development.
• Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD): Causes goiter and cretinism due to inadequate thyroid hormone production.
• Vitamin D Deficiency: Leads to rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults due to impaired calcium absorption.

Prevention strategies involve food fortification, dietary diversification, supplementation programs, and public health education regarding balanced nutrition.