Deck 14: Future Directions for Health Psychology

Question 1

Compared to White, African Americans have higher rates of death caused by homicide, but not cancer.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Even in countries with universal free health care, people with low income are less healthy than those with more income.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The most effective types of prevention programs are multifaceted and community based.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Overall health care costs are about 40% more in the United States than in other countries.

Question 5

People who are less educated are more likely to use alternative therapies such as acupuncture and chiropractic therapy than people who are well educated.

Question 6

Heterosexual transmission is the major cause of the spread of HIV in developing countries.

Question 7

Men consistently receive lower-quality health care than women.

Question 8

Compared to Canadian doctors, US doctors work longer hours.

Question 9

Injury prevention approaches such as installing smoke detectors, putting locks on windows, and installing headlights that automatically turn on when the car is started are known as passive approaches.

Question 10

Higher levels of education are consistently associated with better health, even when researchers take into account other factors.

Question 11

A person's quality-adjusted life years (or QALY) is calculated based on:

A) Their overall life expectancy
B) Their day-to-day quality of life
C) The quality of their day-to-day life, based on the symptoms they are experiencing, as well as the length of time they will spend with such symptoms
D) The length of time they are expected to live if kept alive via medical treatments and procedures

Question 12

Which of the following describes a secondary prevention approach to health?

A) Setting laws banning the sale of cigarettes to minors
B) Creating a media campaign to encourage everyone to engage in regular exercise
C) Designing a very low-sodium diet for a person who is recovering from heart disease
D) Providing regular screening for skin cancer.

Question 13

Research on racial-ethnic health differences reveals all of the following EXCEPT:

A) African Americans are more likely than Whites to suffer from chronic health conditions such as AIDS and cardiovascular disease
B) Alcohol use is more common among African American men than among White men
C) Smoking is more common among African American women than among White women
D) African Americans are much less likely than Whites to have regular immunizations

Question 14

All of the following factors explain the link between income and health EXCEPT:

A) People in low income groups have less access to regular health care than those in high income groups
B) People in low income groups receive poorer quality medical care than those in high income groups
C) People in low income groups are more likely to engage in destructive health-related behavior than those in high income groups
D) People in low income groups are more likely to ignore medical recommendations than those in high income groups.

Question 15

Which of the following strategies for preventing health problems is active?

A) Requiring people to wear seatbelts
B) Putting locks on cabinets containing poisonous chemicals
C) Mandating airbags in cars
D) Installing smoke detectors

Question 16

All of the following strategies for preventing health problems describe societal changes EXCEPT:

A) Restricting alcohol use and tobacco advertising
B) Banning smoking in public places
C) Banning the use of handheld cell phones while driving
D) Installing smoke detectors, and keeping chemicals and firearms under lock and key

Question 17

All of the following cases have occurred EXCEPT:

A) Implanting embryos that allow a couple to have a child of their preferred sex
B) Implanting embryos that do not carry a gene for Alzheimer's disease
C) Giving younger people preference for organ transplants over older people
D) Giving Whites preference for organ transplants over African Americans

Question 18

Health care costs are greater in the United States than in Canada in part because:

A) Physicians and hospitals in the United States spend more time on administrative costs
B) American physicians work longer hours and see more patients
C) Life expectancy rates in the United States are greater
D) Canadian doctors rely more on new and more efficient technologies than do American doctors.

Question 19

All of the following statements about HMO care are true EXCEPT:

A) They decrease health care costs by classifying all health problems into "diagnostic-related groups" and then giving practitioners and hospitals a set fee for treatment of a given problem
B) They require that all patient's care be approved by the doctor as well as the HMO organization
C) HMO patients are more likely to be admitted than non HMO's
D) Patients must choose doctors who participate within the HMO

Question 20

Unconventional, or alternative, therapies are most commonly used to treat:

A) back pain
B) arthritis
C) depression
D) diarrhea

Question 21

Which of the following procedures is the most cost-effective?

A) Annual mammogram
B) Coronary bypass surgery
C) Prenatal screening for cystic fibrosis
D) Tobacco restriction programs for teenagers

Question 22

All of the following represent cost-saving measures EXCEPT:

A) Preventing premature births by providing pregnant women with regular prenatal care
B) Providing labor support such as doulas during labor
C) Screening older men for prostate cancer
D) Classifying all health problems into "diagnostic-related groups" and then giving practitioners and hospitals a set fee for treatment of a given problem

Question 23

Which of the following statements about women's health care needs is FALSE?

A) Women have a longer life expectancy than men
B) Breast cancer is the leading cause of death for women
C) Women are at greater risk of acquiring AIDS than men
D) Rates of lung cancer deaths are increasing faster in women than in men

Question 24

In many developing countries, ______ is a major cause of death.

Question 25

All of the following strategies are likely to promote health in developing countries EXCEPT:

A) Improved prenatal care
B) Access to contraceptives
C) Regular immunizations
D) Improved access to surgery

Question 26

Which of the following factors is most likely to have led to an increase in death rates in Central and Eastern Europe during the 1990s?

A) Rapid increase in suicide due to poor economic conditions
B) Increased frequency in terrorist attacks
C) Decrease in the quality and availability of health services
D) Increase in rate of HIV infection

Question 27

The field of clinical health psychology examines:

A) how knowledge gained in the discipline of psychology can be used to promote and maintain physical health
B) how people's physical and physiological responses to stress are influenced by their social relationships
C) how personality factors influenced people's physical and physiological responses to stress
D) how psychologists can help people overcome traumatic events and thereby improve their psychological and physical well-being

Question 28

Denise is particularly interested in working with people who have physical, mental, or emotional disabilities, and in helping them learn the skills they need to function in a productive way. A good career choice for her might be:

A) Physical therapist
B) Occupational therapist
C) Social worker
D) Clinical health psychologist

Question 29

Which of the following group of people has the highest death rates.

A) Middle income African American men
B) Low income White women
C) High income African American women
D) Low income White men

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT a tertiary prevention method?

A) Designing a very low-fat vegetarian diet for an individual with heart disease
B) Extending leave benefits so employees can care for elderly or sick parents
C) Developing support networks for recently widowed individuals
D) Mandating a course of treatment to facilitate recovery of stroke victims

Question 31

Which of the following is a prevention method at the organization level?

A) Worksite incentive programs to eliminate employee smoking
B) Screening and early detection for hypertension
C) Developing support networks for recently widowed individuals
D) Substantially increasing insurance premiums for smokers

Question 32

Based on base rates, which of the following children is MOST LIKELY to receive a tetanus vaccination?

A) Melissa, a White child
B) Chris, an African American child
C) Sheila, an American Indian child
D) Sean, a Hispanic child

Question 33

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

A) The majority of people who can successfully donate organs die in relatively unusual situations (i.e., accidents at relatively young ages)
B) Providing money for donor organs would devalue the altruism demonstrated by the donor family
C) Providing a money incentive for donor organs may prevent people from signing donor cards
D) Providing a money incentive for donor organs may discourage discussion of people's wishes

Question 34

Compared to Canada, in which of the following categories of health care does the United States spend more money per capita?

A) Insurance administration
B) Hospital administration
C) Nursing homes
D) All of the above

Question 35

Which of the following statements about UNICEF's key messages for improving international health is FALSE?

A) Birth spacing of less than 2 years increases mortality rate for young children by 50%
B) Breast milk is the best possible baby food during the first 4 to 6 months of life
C) Children with diarrhea should not drink a lot of fluids.
D) Illness can be prevented by washing hands with soap and water

Question 36

Four different types of posters were created to prompt people to register as organ donors: counterargument (addressed common misperceptions about organ donation), emotional (emphasized the emotional impact on families who lose a loved one due to organ shortages), motivating action (designed to lead the recipient to register immediately), and dissonance (focused on reminding people of their good nature and that good people would surely donate organs). Which was most successful?

A) counterargument
B) emotional
C) motivating action
D) dissonance

Question 37

Researchers examined the factors that influenced people's decisions about HPV vaccinations. They discovered that _________ influenced this decision-making process.

A) people's core health beliefs
B) past experiences with the medical system
C) perception of media messages
D) all of the above

Question 38

Although an estimated ______ of the adult population world-wide smokes, rates of smoking vary considerably by age, region of country, and income level.

A) 11%
B) 24%
C) 29%
D) 32%

Question 39

Describe three distinct ways in which the field of health psychology can contribute to improved health.

Question 40

Describe why health care costs are so much higher in the United States than in other similar countries, and how principles in health psychology can be used to reduce such costs.

Question 41

Describe differences in the health issues faced by men and women, and why women have often been excluded from research studies.

Question 42

Describe the distinct health challenges faced in poor countries and in Central/Eastern Europe.

Question 43

Describe four different types of careers in the field of health.

Question 44

Describe the three types of prevention and comment on costs associated with each.

Question 45

Describe four of the five levels of prevention and offer a concrete example of each.

Question 46

Describe one of the three challenges currently facing health psychology and provide an example of how we might solve this challenge.

Question 47

Explain some of the challenges facing those with advanced directives. What might stop a living will from being honored? How can this be solved?

Question 48

What is social capital and how can it contribute to health particularly among those with low income?