Which of the following terms encompasses continuous data collection to detect trends in health-related issues?

The term that encompasses continuous data collection to detect trends in health-related issues is nutrition surveillance. This process involves the systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of data related to nutrition and health over time. The primary aim of nutrition surveillance is to identify and monitor health-related trends, allowing public health professionals to assess population nutritional status, detect emerging problems, and evaluate interventions.

In contrast, nutrition monitoring refers to periodic assessment to track specific nutrition indicators or outcomes but does not necessarily imply the continuous collection of data over time. Nutrition screening focuses on identifying individuals at risk of nutrition-related problems, typically through brief assessments, rather than the broader trend detection characteristic of surveillance. Nutrition assessment involves a comprehensive evaluation of an individual's or population’s nutritional status but is not specifically aimed at the continuous data collection used in surveillance activities.

By emphasizing the ongoing collection and analysis inherent in surveillance, this terminology is critical in public health for guiding policy decisions, planning programs, and responding to nutritional issues effectively within communities.