Question 1
Which of the following is not usually an aim of epidemiology?
Answer
To describe the health status of the population
To fund new public health programs
To explain the etiology of disease
To predict the occurrence of disease
To control the distribution of disease
Question 2
Which of the following activities characterizes a clinical approach (as opposed to an epidemiologic approach)?
Answer
Description of specific signs and symptoms in a patient
Description of seasonal trends in disease occurrence
Examination of disease occurrence among population groups
Demonstration of geographic variations in disease frequency
Question 3
Which of the following activities characterizes an epidemiologic approach (as opposed to a clinical approach)?
Answer
Description of a single individual’s symptoms
Surveillance of a population
Treatment of a patient with diagnosed illness
A and C
Question 4
The Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) is responsible for (give the best answer):
Answer
tracking down unusual disease outbreaks in the United States and foreign countries.
collecting routine epidemiologic data for local health departments.
printing epidemiologic reports for members of the community.
reporting suspicious bioterrorism agents to governmental agencies.
Question 5
Cyclic variations in the occurrence of pneumonia and influenza mortality may reflect:
Answer
seasonal variations in cases of influenza.
the fact that influenza is a disappearing disorder.
long-term changes in mortality trends.
both A and B
Question 6
John Snow, author of Snow on Cholera:
Answer
was the father of modern biostatistics.
established postulates for transmission of infectious disease.
was an early epidemiologist who used natural experiments.
argued that the environment was associated with diseases such as malaria.
Question 7
In the Yearly Mortality Bill for 1632, consumption referred to:
Answer
dysentery
tuberculosis
smallpox
edema
Question 8
Indicate the level of prevention that is represented by nutritional counseling for pregnant women Answer
Primary Prevention Active
Primary Prevention Passive
Secondary Prevention
Tertiary Prevention
Question 9
In 1900, the death rate per 100,000 members of the population for influenza and pneumonia (I & P) was 202.2; it was 22.4 in 2003. How much did the death rate due to I & P decline?
Answer
100%
1000%
90%
9000%
Question 10
Indicate the level of prevention that is represented by screening for breast cancer
Answer
Primary Prevention Active
Primary Prevention Passive
Secondary Prevention
Tertiary Prevention
Question 11
Using epidemiology for operational research involves:
Answer
study of community health services
study of risks to the individual
study of disease syndromes
study of disease symptoms
Question 12
The difference between primary and secondary prevention of disease is:
Answer
primary prevention means control of causal factors, while secondary prevention means control of symptoms.
primary prevention means control of acute disease, while secondary prevention means control of chronic disease.
primary prevention means control of causal factors, while secondary prevention means early detection and treatment of disease.
primary prevention means increasing resistance to disease, while secondary prevention means decreasing exposure to disease.
Question 13
Indicate the level of prevention that is represented by half-way houses for persons recovering from addiction
Answer
Primary Prevention Active
Primary Prevention Passive
Secondary Prevention
Tertiary Prevention
Question 14
Indicate the level of prevention that is represented by pasteurization of milk
Answer
Primary Prevention Active
Primary Prevention Passive
Secondary Prevention
Tertiary Prevention
Question 15
An epidemiologic survey of roller-skating injuries in Metroville, a city with a population of 100,000 (during the midpoint of the year), produced the following data for a particular year:
Number of skaters in Metroville during any given month 12,000 Roller-skating injuries in Metroville 600 Total number of residents injured from roller-skating 1,800 Total number of deaths from roller-skating 90 Total number of deaths from all causes 900
The cause-specific mortality rate from roller-skating was:
Answer
90/600 × 100,000
90/100,000 × 100,000
90/1,800 × 100,000
90/900 × 100,000
Question 16
Blood pressure measurements on adult males 30-39 years of age were obtained in a survey of a representative sample of Twin Cities households. To compare the frequency of hypertension in the white and non-white population surveyed, the most appropriate measure is the: Answer
incidence rate
prevalence
race-specific incidence rate
race-specific prevalence
race-specific age-adjusted prevalence Question 17
Determining workload and planning the scope of facilities and manpower needs, particularly for chronic disease. Is this a use for incidence or prevalence data? Answer
This is a use primarily for incidence data.
This is a use primarily for prevalence data.
This application could apply equally for both incidence and prevalence data.
This is a use for neither incidence data nor prevalence data.
Question 18
Estimating the frequency of exposure. Is this a use for incidence or prevalence data?
Answer
This is a use primarily for incidence data.
This is a use primarily for prevalence data.
This application could apply equally for both incidence and prevalence data.
This is a use for neither incidence data nor prevalence data.
Question 19
The risk of acquiring a given disease during a time period is best determined by: Answer
the mortality rate from that disease in the 0-4 age group.
a spot map that records all cases of the disease in the past year.
the period prevalence for that disease during the past year.
the incidence rate (cumulative incidence) for that disease in a given period of time.
Question 20
To express the burden or extent of some condition or attribute in a population. Is this a use for incidence or prevalence data?
Answer
This is a use primarily for incidence data.
This is a use primarily for prevalence data.
This application could apply equally for both incidence and prevalence data.
This is a use for neither incidence data nor prevalence data.
Question 21
The fundamental tool for etiologic studies of both acute and chronic diseases. Is this a use for incidence or prevalence data?
Answer
This is a use primarily for incidence data.
This is a use primarily for prevalence data.
This application could apply equally for both incidence and prevalence data.
This is a use for neither incidence data nor prevalence data.
Question 22
Beach City has a rising population of 500,000 robust, fertile males and 450,000 robust, fertile females. If there were 4,000 live births, 3 fetal deaths, and 40 maternal deaths, what is the crude birth rate?
Answer
4,000/500,000 × 1,000
4,000/450,000 × 1,000
4,000/950,000 × 1,000
4,003/950,000 × 1,000
3,997/950,000 × 1,000
Question 23
Age-specific and age-adjusted mortality rates by sex in the United States generally show the following sex differences:
Answer
Rates for males are higher than rates for females from birth to age 85 and older.
Rates for females are higher than rates for males from birth to age 85 and older.
Rates for males are higher than rates for females from age 6 to age 85 and older.
Rates for males are equal to rates for females during the first 5 years of life.
Question 24
A null hypothesis is most similar to which of the following?
Answer
Positive declaration
Negative declaration
Implicit question
Explicit question
Question 25
Reasons for gender differences in mortality may include:
Answer
greater risk taking by women
greater frequency of smoking among men
higher prevalence of coronary-prone behavior among women
less frequency of smoking among men
Question 26
Lung cancer mortality among women is increasing faster than among men. What factor(s) would most likely account for this increased cancer rate?
Answer
Younger women are smoking more.
Older women are smoking more.
Women are smoking less.
Men are smoking more Question 27
Descriptive epidemiology has the following characteristics (Choose the incorrect option): Answer
provides the basis for planning and evaluation of health services.
allows causal inference from descriptive data.
allows comparisons by age, sex, and race.
uses case reports, case series, and cross-sectional studies.
identifies problems to be studied by analytic methods.
Question 28
Studies of nativity and migration have reported that:
Answer
admission rates of foreign-born persons to mental hospitals were lower than for native-born persons
diseases found in less developed regions are no longer a problem in the United States
immunization programs in developing countries have been highly successful
some migrants have inadequate immunization status with respect to vaccine-preventable diseases
Question 29
Which of the following statements most accurately expresses the downward-drift hypothesis for schizophrenia?
Answer
The conditions of life in lower-class society favor its development.
The conditions of life in upper-class society favor its development.
The illness leads to the clustering of psychosis in the impoverished areas of a city.
The illness is associated with increases in creative talents, which contribute to wealth-enhancing achievements.
Question 30
Which of Mill’s four canons suggests that there is an association between frequency of disease and the potency of a causative factor?
Answer
Difference
Agreement
Concomitant variation
Residues
