What is the practice associated with health preservation and disease prevention?

The correct answer is hygiene, as it encompasses practices that are essential for maintaining health and preventing disease. Hygiene includes strategies such as proper handwashing, personal cleanliness, and sanitation measures that help reduce the risk of infections and diseases. By adhering to good hygiene practices, individuals can significantly lower their chances of transmitting or contracting pathogens.

Nutrition, while important for overall health and can support the immune system, primarily focuses on dietary intake rather than the broader scope of disease prevention through the maintenance of cleanliness. Exercise is vital for fitness and well-being but does not directly involve the preventative aspects of health maintenance in the same way hygiene does. Medication plays a critical role in treating illnesses but is not a primary method for health preservation and disease prevention; instead, it is often a response to existing health issues. Therefore, hygiene stands out as the practice that directly targets health preservation and disease prevention.