Deck 11: Health and Society

Question 1

The development of the American Medical Association was the beginning of the end (until very recently)of:

A) licensing of physicians.
B) homeopathic medicine.
C) dentistry.
D) backstreet abortions.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

When Marie becomes a medical doctor and sets up her office for the first time,she sets her desk in a manner so it is between her and the patient.It just seems like the right thing to do.Sociologists study this practice and see that it:

A) is a practicality that doesn't have sociological significance.
B) encourages patients to conduct themselves professionally.
C) establishes the power of the doctor.
D) undermines care by making patients feel that they are in school.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

After 1990,nurse practitioners began treating patients more widely and gained authorization to prescribe medications.This trend allows more patients to be treated more quickly,but what is one of its unintended consequences?

A) reduced funding for medical doctor education programs
B) doctors having less authority
C) better primary care,but reduced quality of care for complicated illness
D) patients diagnosing themselves with Internet research

Answer 3

B

Question 4

The conflict between the Hmong family and their American doctors was over different understandings of seizures.The Hmong family viewed seizures as ________,but American doctors viewed seizures as ________.

A) spiritual; physical
B) acute; chronic
C) mild; serious
D) intentional; unintentional

Question 5

Melinda is a woman with advanced diabetes who no longer works or performs household tasks for her family.Her husband and children work to support the household and care for her.She won't take insulin and won't change her diet because she says she is too sick.Using Talcott Parson's role theory,we can see that Melinda is:

A) living out the sick role according to the theory.
B) living out part of the sick role,but failing to meet her obligation to comply with doctor's orders.
C) an exception to the sick role,because her condition is congenital.
D) creating psychological "sickness" in her family,as the theory predicts.

Question 6

Around the 1990s,physicians' authority began to decline for several reasons,one of which was that more physicians were associated with health maintenance organizations (HMOs).This meant that:

A) there were changes in the way we paid for care.
B) doctors were always paid per treatment rather than per patient.
C) doctors were allowed to work only four days per week.
D) doctors were not allowed to make more than the owner of the HMO.

Question 7

After studying the story of Foua Yang and her daughter Lia,what might a sociologist say to doctors serving in cross-cultural settings?

A) Medical conditions and treatment must be explained in basic terms that the patient can understand.
B) Medical conditions can be interpreted in different ways,and these differences are not easily reconciled.
C) It is better for patients to make health care decisions themselves,because when families get involved,it becomes too complicated.
D) Grief is long-lasting.

Question 8

In 1986,the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA)was passed,making it:

A) illegal to give medical care to people without insurance.
B) illegal to deliver a baby without medical training.
C) a requirement to treat even the uninsured at emergency rooms.
D) legal to treat the young but not the elderly in emergency rooms,because the elderly automatically have Medicare.

Question 9

The fee-for-service system caused a situation where physicians could determine the number of (often unnecessary)visits required for treatment.This problem was called:

A) self-regulation.
B) fraud.
C) supplier-induced demand.
D) prescription authority.

Question 10

Steve developed a mental illness in young adulthood.He seeks treatment but doesn't want to talk about his past.He says,"It's just genetic-nothing could have changed it." Influenced by Delores Malaspina's research,Steve's psychiatrist wants to know about Steve's past marijuana intake,because smoking marijuana could:

A) influence which medications should be prescribed now.
B) change the way genes are expressed.
C) be the real cause of his illness,not genetics.
D) make Steve lie about his symptoms.

Question 11

What did Mechanic and Meyer find to be the most important factor for patients in rating their doctor?

A) technical competence
B) medical competence
C) interpersonal confidence
D) dress and facial expression

Question 12

Physician prestige has been on the decline since the 1980s.Which of the following might be a reason?

A) More people in the medical community are being allowed to prescribe.
B) Medical malpractice suits have revealed that most physicians overcharge for services.
C) Requirements for medical schools are being lowered due to affirmative action.
D) More physicians are becoming surgeons.

Question 13

Tamara is a medical doctor who is driving to the park.On her way,she passes by the scene of an accident.In U.S.society,the expectation is that Tamara has:

A) the option to stop and help,or not,as her conscience dictates.
B) a legal requirement to stop and help.
C) a moral obligation to stop and try to help.
D) a moral obligation to call 911.

Question 14

Across cultures and across time,medical professionals hold varying degrees of power and prestige.If we esteemed doctors today in the way that ancient Romans did,we might ask our ________ to add on a minor surgical procedure.

A) mother
B) teacher
C) hairdresser
D) children

Question 15

One of the things that may have led Dr.Paul Farmer's (cofounder of Partners in Health)continued commitment to helping the poorest regions of the world with regard to health care is:

A) the amount of money he makes from government grants.
B) his PhD in medical anthropology,which gives him experience as a social scientist.
C) the fame and fortune he has acquired by traveling to all corners of the world.
D) the number of children he has fathered while traveling the world.

Question 16

Physicians in ancient Rome tended to have lower prestige.This was because:

A) only lower-status people got ill.
B) most were men.
C) the surgeons evolved from barbers.
D) they were seen as evildoers by the nobility.

Question 17

What is a social benefit of adopting the sick role? A person in the sick role is:

A) eligible for paid leave from work.
B) not looked down on or morally judged if he or she does not work.
C) able to get a "free pass" in the eyes of others to eat fried foods after a heart attack or smoke after a cancer diagnosis.
D) easily identifiable,thus easier to help.

Question 18

Dr.Raman is a family practice physician with a degree from Sunshine University.He makes potions of sunshine and water in his kitchen and sells them as "Health,Guaranteed!" All the other medical doctors in town say Dr.Raman is no good,but he doesn't care.All he cares about is the happiness of his patients (and his sales).Because he serves clients at the expense of the esteem of his professional peers,Dr.Raman is known to sociologists as:

A) a pseudo-professional.
B) a homegrown doctor.
C) a quack.
D) a faker.

Question 19

A sociologist and biologist work together to investigate possible epigenetic marks for cancer.In the case of Dani,a cancer patient,they are looking at both her genes and:

A) her husband's genes.
B) the genes of rats exposed to the same cancer.
C) environmental hazards her parents were exposed to.
D) her IQ.

Question 20

Which of the following was the result of medical licensing that began in the mid-1800s?

A) It led to the infiltration of market forces into medicine.
B) It gave physicians more economic clout.
C) It created markets for alternative forms of medicine,such as homeopathy.
D) It allowed women and racial minorities to become physicians.

Question 21

The main problem with the fee-for-service model is that doctors have an incentive to:

A) overcharge the insurance company.
B) limit medical procedures.
C) decrease office hours.
D) have patients return for unnecessary visits.

Question 22

Asians tend to have lower infant mortality rates than other minority groups in the United States.This is most likely attributable to:

A) socioeconomic status.
B) low birth weight.
C) lower incidences of HIV.
D) having fewer children overall.

Question 23

The "drift explanation" of the relationship between health and socioeconomic status (SES)states that:

A) people with more money are able to select better foods and are therefore healthier than those with less money.
B) genetics and biology affect SES so that people who are healthier have an easier time maintaining a high SES.
C) there is no relationship between health and SES; any observed relationship is the result of selection bias by researchers.
D) people with better health select higher-paying jobs than those with poor health.

Question 24

Which federal government program for children matches the state funding while still allowing states to set their own criteria for eligibility and control the disbursement of funds?

A) the State Children's Health Insurance Plan
B) Medicaid
C) Medicare
D) HMOs

Question 25

Dr.Chan works in reproductive medicine and notices how new technologies have increased the number of fetuses in pregnancies,creating higher risks for the fetuses and for the mothers both before and after birth.Dr.Chan consults with his professional peers regularly about the major ethical issues emerging as these new technologies develop.The most important ethical issue currently is determining whether:

A) some embryos should be terminated.
B) government programs should provide assistance in these cases.
C) reproductive technology research should be publicly funded.
D) women with criminal records,addictions,or other social problems should have access to these technologies.

Question 26

Michael is a case manager for a group home.Stan is a man with severe developmental disabilities who lives at the group home.Michael needs to seek medical coverage for Stan.Which government program will Michael likely seek out?

A) SCHIP
B) HMO
C) Medicare
D) Medicaid

Question 27

When it comes to health care,Western societies:

A) all offer universal care.
B) are dominated by complementary medicine like homeopathy and acupuncture.
C) are reactive; people tend to go to the doctor only when they decide they are sick.
D) are proactive; health care systems predict outcomes like life expectancy and quality of life.

Question 28

Under HMOs,doctors usually don't get more money each time a patient comes in,so the incentive might be to:

A) undertreat the patient.
B) overtreat on the first visit.
C) spend maximal time with the patient.
D) let medical staff care for the patient.

Question 29

Enoch is an 80-year-old man who receives moderate Social Security funds and works part-time bagging groceries.Adolph,an 80-year-old man with more Social Security funds,has no need to work.Sociological research predicts that:

A) Enoch may live longer because of the social interaction benefits of working.
B) Adolph may live longer because he can purchase health-related goods more easily.
C) Adolph may live longer because it is physically easier to not work.
D) Enoch may live longer because the strain of a low income motivates him to get up and exert himself each day.

Question 30

Hypertension is directly related to stress,which can be attributed to being poor.However,poor African Americans in the United States have rates of hypertension that are similar to middle- and upper-class African Americans.What could explain this?

A) Socioeconomic status is not as strongly related to health as sociologists once believed.
B) Hypertension is not really related to stress.
C) African Americans have a genetic predisposition for hypertension.
D) Even middle- and upper-class African Americans may still experience discrimination.

Question 31

When Susie takes up smoking,the cost of her insurance coverage goes up.This is a result of:

A) risk insurance.
B) risk adjustment.
C) a clerical error.
D) risk adversity.

Question 32

A government program that provides health insurance for the poor is:

A) Blue Cross.
B) Medicare.
C) Medicaid.
D) an HMO.

Question 33

Amira is an obstetrician who regularly tests for developmental abnormalities in fetuses in her Chicago practice and believes it promotes better outcomes for mothers and infants.She is planning a year of professional service in India and is concerned that in that social context,closely examining a fetus while a woman is pregnant may:

A) work differently because of the genetic distinctiveness of Indian women.
B) fail due to inadequate equipment.
C) promote social inequality because only wealthy women will be able to afford it.
D) contribute to families choosing to abort female fetuses.

Question 34

The explanation for the relationship between socioeconomic status and health that focuses on an individual's social class,and the relative stressors inherent in a lower-class lifestyle,is called:

A) chance.
B) materialism.
C) psychosocial.
D) fundamental causes.

Question 35

The longevity discrepancy between blacks and whites may be a result of:

A) birth order.
B) genetic difference
C) social inequality.
D) height of the father.

Question 36

While HMOs might decrease the prestige of physicians,they could also be detrimental to patients because a patient could be:

A) encouraged to go into an unlicensed hospital.
B) undertreated.
C) ignored by administrative staff.
D) misinformed about risky treatments.

Question 37

Jane does a study of illness rates and how they vary by gender.She is studying ________ rates.

A) mortality
B) acuteness
C) morbidity
D) sickness

Question 38

One of the criticisms of the Whitehall Study is that the researchers did not adequately address the possibility that occupational and health differences were caused by:

A) family income.
B) heredity.
C) underlying personality differences.
D) birth order.

Question 39

Morbidity means ________; mortality means ________.

A) acute; chronic
B) illness; death
C) death; illness
D) chronic; acute

Question 40

Liam is a sociologist studying which factors determine health outcomes.He is doing a study that will refine the outcomes of the Whitehall Study.Thus,he looks at differences in health outcomes between the following groups:

A) married,divorced,never married.
B) young,middle-aged,elderly.
C) smokers,nonsmokers.
D) teachers,lawyers,service workers.

Question 41

What is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)? Why did the number of "illnesses" grow from 60 in the 1952 edition to around 400 in the fourth edition? How does this illustrate the social construction of health and disease?

Question 42

Why aren't antibiotics as successful in treating illnesses as they were several years ago?

A) Fewer physicians are now prescribing antibiotics.
B) Individuals have developed allergies to them.
C) Antibiotics are not as available as they were in the past.
D) Bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics.

Question 43

What did Barry Bogin find was different in the Mayans' lifestyle that allowed them to grow 4 inches taller in the United States than in Guatemala?

A) They tended to be born to older mothers.
B) They tended to be born to younger,healthier mothers.
C) They had access to a better diet.
D) They were less likely to have sex during their teen years.

Question 44

List and describe two social changes that have resulted in diminished authority of doctors.How does diminished authority influence how doctors do their work? How does it change the way patients receive health care?

Question 45

What did the former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan say was one of the most important factors in defeating infectious diseases?

A) increasing access to clean water
B) increasing medical education
C) decreasing fertility
D) increasing education regarding condom use

Question 46

Mika is going to Africa to implement a development project in a poor rural area.She takes Jeffrey Sachs's advice,focusing on malaria reduction.Which outcome is most likely?

A) AIDS has overtaken malaria in importance.
B) Malaria has already been eliminated by projects similar to the ones that eliminated onchocerciasis.
C) There is a resurgence of malaria due to antibiotic-resistant strains of the disease.
D) She will find that she should have focused on education of girls.

Question 47

After mental illness became "medicalized," what was one major change that occurred?

A) Medication replaced counseling.
B) Insurance companies started paying for face-to-face treatment.
C) Therapy and medications went hand in hand.
D) Mental illness decreased with the use of medications.

Question 48

Which type of family has higher child mortality rates?

A) urban
B) small
C) suburban
D) large

Question 49

Race and ethnicity influence health,and so does socioeconomic status (SES).How do sociologists explain the association between race/ethnicity and health? How does SES influence that association (that is,does high SES always predict greater health and longevity,regardless of race/ethnicity)?

Question 50

Elaine is a sociologist joining a multidisciplinary international development team.The team wants to promote economic development in underdeveloped parts of the world.Their funds are limited,so they want to choose the intervention that will be most effective.Elaine turns to sociological research and concludes that the most important intervention will be:

A) promoting contraception.
B) eliminating malaria.
C) educating about AIDS.
D) educating girls.

Question 51

What is one reason men have higher mortality rates than women?

A) Men have a predisposition for specific illnesses.
B) The XX chromosomes protect women from certain illnesses.
C) Women have healthier lifestyles.
D) Women are more likely to seek medical care.

Question 52

Marty used to be healthy,but now he is sick.What rights and obligations does he assume when he takes the "sick role"? What are some social benefits that a sick person can gain? What are some social problems he or she can gain?

Question 53

What are some of the benefits of technological advances in diagnosis and treatment before birth? What are a few moral issues stemming from this technology? In your view,are these technological advances mostly beneficial or mostly problematic? Why?

Question 54

Married people tend to live longer than unmarried people.It could be that they take better care of themselves when they have the responsibility of a family.It could also be that:

A) people who are healthier are more likely to get married.
B) people who are married have less sex,so they are less likely to contract sexually transmitted infections.
C) unmarried people are more likely to travel to areas of the world where there are higher rates of diseases.
D) unmarried people are less likely to have sex and are therefore more depressed,leading to physical ailments.

Question 55

Discuss the historical evolution of doctors from a profession of little prestige to the important place they hold in present-day society.

Question 56

James is 6 feet tall.Leroy is 5 feet 2 inches tall.There are surely many individual differences between James and Leroy,but sociological research predicts that based on height alone,James is likely to have:

A) better health.
B) deeper friendships.
C) a lower risk of obesity.
D) male-pattern baldness.

Question 57

Tina is a homeless mentally ill woman.Psychiatrist Sam Tsemberis recommends giving her a ________,because ________ is the most important first step toward well-being.

A) key; housing
B) sandwich; nutrition
C) working refrigerator; self-sufficiency
D) gym membership; physical fitness

Question 58

When looking at health globally,how do water quality and waterborne illnesses affect the health of poorer countries? What are some issues we are facing in conquering bacterial infectious diseases such as malaria,tuberculosis,and gonorrhea? What role,if any,should the United States play in helping poorer nations get access to safer drinking water and eradicating malaria and other diseases?

Question 59

Eliana was given a ten-day course of antibiotics,but she stopped taking them once she started feeling better on day four.Eliana's decision seems to be personal,but it has social implications.What public health risk do we face if more and more people fail to complete prescribed courses of antibiotics?

A) rising costs of prescriptions
B) lingering infections in more people
C) the development of antimicrobial-resistant antigens
D) continued poverty in vast regions of the world