Which term describes cleanliness and reducing infection risk?

• A. Impending
• B. Incidence
• C. Infection
• D. Hygiene

Answer: (D)

Hygiene is the practice that describes cleanliness and actions taken to prevent infection. It includes things like handwashing, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, proper waste management, sterilization, and using protective gear when needed. By removing or reducing pathogens and limiting opportunities for their transmission, hygiene lowers the chance of infections occurring.

Other terms don’t fit this idea: impending refers to something about to happen, not cleanliness; incidence is a statistic that measures how often a condition occurs; infection means the presence of pathogens in the body, which is the outcome hygiene aims to prevent. So the term that best captures both cleanliness and reducing infection risk is hygiene.