Public Health Nursing Practice Exam

Which public health intervention involves teaching hand washing to elementary school children?

1. Collaboration

2. Surveillance

3. Health teaching

4. Screening

The correct answer is: Health teaching

Health teaching is the correct choice because it focuses on educating individuals, particularly in this scenario, elementary school children, about practices that promote health. Teaching hand washing is a fundamental health education activity aimed at preventing the spread of infectious diseases. Health education interventions empower children with knowledge and skills, encouraging them to adopt healthy behaviors, such as regular hand washing, which is especially important in school settings where germs can easily spread. Collaboration typically refers to working together with various stakeholders or organizations to achieve common goals, rather than direct teaching. Surveillance involves the continuous, systematic collection and analysis of health data to track the spread of diseases or health-related events, which differs from direct educational efforts. Screening is a process used to identify individuals at high risk for a specific condition or disease, often through tests, rather than through educational initiatives. Thus, the key aspect of the chosen intervention is its focus on imparting knowledge and influencing behavior for better health outcomes.