Secondary Prevention

disorders, major depression, chronic anxiety, and cognitive impairment (Galla, O’Reilly, Kitil, Smalley, & Black, 2014, p. 1). All of these health problems can be avoided if people took time for themselves and learned methods to decrease their stress levels such as exercise, meditation, and prayer etc.

Secondary prevention is the next level in which health-care providers can promote optimal wellness to their patients. Due to Jane’s familial history examples of secondary prevention could include screening for obesity, cardiovascular disease, as well as type 2 diabetes.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) advises screening all adults for obesity. According to the USPSTF, the leading causes of death in obese adults include:

However, the most effective interventions included multiple behavioral management activities, such as group sessions, individual sessions, setting weight loss goals, improving diet/nutrition, physical activity, addressing barriers to change, active use of self monitoring, and planning how to maintain lifestyle changes (Moyer, 2012, p. 373-374). This takes time to accomplish, but by decreasing your BMI alone, you also decrease your risk for developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and many other diseases that lead to early

Research performed by the American Heart Association (AHA); found that setting specific goals leads to increased success rates. For example, goals that focus on behavior, such as increasing whole grain intake, are preferable when compared to goals such as lowering LDL cholesterol, because behaviors are more directly controlled and are observable by the individual, whereas factors such as genetics can influence physiological targets (AHA Prevention Committee of the Council on Cardiovascular Nursing [“AHA”], 2010, p.