Deck 2: Cultural Competency

Question 1

Mr. Sanchez is a 45-year-old gentleman who has presented to the office for a physical examination to establish a new primary care health care provider. Which of the following describes a physical, not a cultural, differentiator?

A) Race
B) Rite
C) Ritual
D) Norm

Answer 1

Race

Question 2

Mr. L presents to the clinic with severe groin pain and a history of kidney stones. Mr. L's son tells you that for religious reasons, his father wishes to keep any stone that is passed into the urine filter that he has been using. What is your most appropriate response?

A) "With your father's permission, we will examine the stone and request that it be returned to him."
B) "The stone must be sent to the lab for examination and therefore cannot be kept."
C) "We cannot let him keep his stone because it violates our infection control policy."
D) "We don't know yet if your father has another kidney stone, so we must analyze this one."

Answer 2

"With your father's permission, we will examine the stone and request that it be returned to him."

Question 3

As you explain your patient's condition to her husband, you notice that he is leaning toward you and pointedly blinking his eyes. Knowing that he is from England, your most appropriate response to this behavior is to:

A) tell him that you understand his need to be alone.
B) ask whether he has any questions.
C) ask whether he would prefer to speak to the clinician.
D) tell him that it is all right to be angry.

Answer 3

ask whether he has any questions.

Question 4

As the health care provider, you are informing a patient that he or she has a terminal illness. This discussion is most likely to be discouraged in which cultural group?

A) Navajo Native Americans
B) Dominant Americans
C) First-generation African descendants
D) First-generation European descendants

Question 5

Mr. Marks is a 66-year-old patient who presents for a physical examination to the clinic. Which question has the most potential for exploring a patient's cultural beliefs related to a health problem?

A) "How often do you have medical examinations?"
B) "What is your age, race, and educational level?"
C) "What types of symptoms have you been having?"
D) "Why do you think you are having these symptoms?"

Question 6

Which statement is true regarding the relationship of physical characteristics and culture?

A) Physical characteristics should be used to identify members of cultural groups.
B) There is a difference between distinguishing cultural characteristics and distinguishing physical characteristics.
C) To be a member of a specific culture, an individual must have certain identifiable physical characteristics.
D) Gender and race are the two essential physical characteristics used to identify cultural groups.

Question 7

The definition of ill or sick is based on a:

A) stereotype.
B) cultural behavior.
C) belief system.
D) cultural attitude.

Question 8

The root of social, political, and economic tragedy is often:

A) acceptance of acculturation.
B) cultural attitudes.
C) cultural translation.
D) resistance to change.

Question 9

Mr. Abdul is a 40-year-old Middle Eastern man who presents to the office for a first visit with the complaint of new abdominal pain. You are concerned about violating a cultural prohibition when you prepare to do his rectal examination. The best tactic would be to:

A) forego the examination for fear of violating cultural norms.
B) ask a colleague from the same geographic area if this examination is acceptable.
C) inform the patient of the reason for the examination and ask if it is acceptable to him.
D) refer the patient to a provider more knowledgeable about cultural differences.

Question 10

The motivation of the health care professional to "want to" engage in the process of becoming culturally competent, not "have to," is called:

A) cultural knowledge.
B) cultural awareness
C) cultural desire
D) cultural skill.

Question 11

An example of a cold food is:

A) cod.
B) eggs.
C) oil.
D) onions.

Question 12

Which statement is true regarding the impoverished?

A) The morbidity and mortality rates of the impoverished are similar to those of the middle class.
B) The morbidity and mortality rates of the impoverished are higher than those of the middle class.
C) The morbidity and mortality rates of the impoverished are lower than those of the middle class.
D) No reliable statistics exist regarding the relationship of poverty to morbidity and mortality.

Question 13

Mr. Jones is a 45-year-old patient who presents to the office. A person's definition of illness is likely to be most influenced by:

A) race.
B) socioeconomic class.
C) enculturation.
D) age group.

Question 14

An aspect of traditional Western medicine that may be troublesome to many Hispanics, Native Americans, Asians, and Arabs is Western medicine's attempts to:

A) use a holistic approach that views a particular medical problem as part of a bigger picture.
B) determine a specific cause for every problem in a precise way.
C) establish harmony between a person and the entire cosmos.
D) restore balance in an individual's life.

Question 15

Because of common cultural food preferences, avoidance of monosodium glutamate (MSG) is likely to be most problematic for the hypertensive patient of which group?

A) Native Americans
B) Hispanics
C) Chinese
D) Italians

Question 16

In a naturalistic or holistic approach to health, an example of a hot symptom would be:

A) diarrhea.
B) an earache.
C) a headache.
D) a nasal cold.

Question 17

Penicillin is considered a:

A) cold herb.
B) cold medicine.
C) hot medicine.
D) lukewarm oil.

Question 18

An image of any group that rejects its potential for originality or individuality is known as a(n):

A) acculturation.
B) norm.
C) stereotype.
D) ethnos.

Question 19

A 22-year-old female nurse is interviewing an 86-year-old male patient. The patient avoids eye contact and answers questions only by saying, "Yeah," "No," or "I guess so." Which of the following is appropriate for the interviewer to say or ask?

A) "We will be able to communicate better if you look at me."
B) "It's hard for me to gather useful information because your answers are so short."
C) "Are you uncomfortable talking with me?"
D) "Does your religion make it hard for you to answer my questions?"

Question 20

An example of a cold condition would be:

A) a fever.
B) a rash.
C) tuberculosis.
D) an ulcer.

Question 21

The attitudes of the health care professional:

A) are largely irrelevant to the success of relationships with the patient.
B) do not influence patient behavior.
C) are difficult for the patient to sense.
D) are culturally derived.

Question 22

Which of the following variables can intrude on successful communication?

A) Social class
B) Gender
C) Stereotype
D) Phenotype
E) Age

Question 23

Adolescents most likely to smoke, abuse substances, perform poorly in school, and be depressed are those who are:

A) from dual-income families.
B) from families that emphasize strong religious beliefs.
C) from deprived socioeconomic groups.
D) unsupervised after school.

Question 24

In terms of cultural communication differences, Americans are more likely to _____________ than are other groups of patients.

Question 25

Knowledge of the culture(s) represented by the patient should be used to:

A) form a sense of the patient.
B) help make the interview questions more pertinent.
C) form stereotypical categories.
D) draw conclusions regarding individual patient needs.

Question 26

Which maternal factor is most predictive of whether an infant will receive inoculations?

A) Mother has family support
B) Mother is divorced
C) Mother received prenatal care
D) Mother uses drugs

Question 27

Which adolescents are most likely to engage in risky behaviors?

A) Those who spend large amounts of time watching television and listening to heavy metal music
B) Those who represent minority races and/or cultural groups
C) Females who represent minority groups
D) Those who are of lower socioeconomic status because of limited parental education