Preventive healthcare (alternately
preventive medicine or
prophylaxis) consists of measures taken for disease prevention, as opposed to disease treatment. Just as
health encompasses a variety of physical and mental states, so do disease and disability, which are affected by
environmental factors,
genetic predisposition, disease agents, and lifestyle choices. Health, disease, and disability are dynamic processes which begin before individuals realize they are affected. Disease prevention relies on anticipatory actions that can be categorized as primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention.