Question 1

The chapter concludes all of the following except:

Accepted Answer

The chapter concludes that planetary survival requires the need for a new worldview, increased cross-cultural understanding, respect for all cultures and the adaptation of various cultures in the coming years. However, reducing the number of cities around the world is not mentioned as a necessary step in achieving planetary survival.

Question 2

edical pluralism is:

Accepted Answer

Medical pluralism refers to the coexistence of multiple medical systems in a society, each with its own practices and beliefs. This can include biomedical, traditional, and alternative medicine, among others. It recognizes that patients may seek treatments from multiple sources and that healthcare is not exclusive to one system.

Question 3

To effectively compare medical systems and health cross-culturally,medical anthropologists have made a theoretical distinction between:

Accepted Answer

Medical anthropologists have made a theoretical distinction between "disease," which refers to the biological or physiological process that produces symptoms, and "illness," which refers to the cultural interpretations and meanings attached to those symptoms. This distinction helps in comparing medical systems and health cross-culturally by recognizing that different cultural understandings and practices can shape how individuals experience and seek treatment for their health problems, even if the underlying physical conditions are similar.

Question 4

Which of the following is classified as a "prion" disease?

Accepted Answer

Kuru is a prion disease that affects humans and is caused by consuming contaminated neural tissue, such as the brain, from individuals with the disease. It is similar to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and other prion diseases. Smallpox, tuberculosis, leishmaniasis, and susto are not prion diseases.

Question 5

In Mali,Katherine Dettwyler found that:

Accepted Answer

Katherine Dettwyler's research in Mali found that despite there being less medical treatment available, there was also less prejudice against people with diseases and handicaps compared to more medically advanced societies.

Question 6

Down syndrome occurs about once in every how many births?

Accepted Answer

Down syndrome occurs approximately once in every 700 births.

Question 7

What is the "Sabido method"?

Accepted Answer

The Sabido method is a communication strategy that uses soap operas and other forms of entertainment to educate people about health topics. It has been used successfully in various countries to promote behavior change and improve public health outcomes.

Question 8

How many people died of smallpox in the 20th century?

Accepted Answer

It is estimated that smallpox was responsible for the deaths of 300 million people in the 20th century.

Question 9

Approximately how many people in the world today are undernourished?

Accepted Answer

According to the latest report by the FAO, approximately 1 billion people in the world are currently undernourished.

Question 10

Structural violence refers to all of the following except:

Accepted Answer

Structural violence refers to the harm caused by social, political, and economic systems that perpetuate inequality and discrimination. It is not limited to criminal activity in a small village.

Question 11

All of the following factors contributed to the transmission of kuru except:

Accepted Answer

Contaminated water was not a factor in the transmission of kuru. The disease was primarily transmitted through the cannibalistic consumption of infected brain tissue, and it is caused by prion agents. Colonialism played a role in the practice of cannibalism among the Fore people, who lived in Papua New Guinea where the disease was prevalent.

Question 12

A disease that is widespread in a population is:

Accepted Answer

The term "endemic" refers to a disease that is native to or commonly found within a particular geographic area or population. This indicates that the disease is widespread within that group, which matches the definition given in the question.

Question 13

Medical anthropologist Emily Martin has shown that scientific depictions of infectious disease in the United States draw upon what specific kind of imagery?

Accepted Answer

Emily Martin has demonstrated that scientific depictions of infectious disease in the United States often use violent imagery, portraying the body as a battleground and the immune system as a military defense.

Question 14

In 1996,__________________became the first country to guarantee free antiretroviral access and collaborating with civil and religious groups to develop appropriate counseling,education,and prevention programs to all of its citizens.

Accepted Answer

In 1996, Brazil became the first country to guarantee free antiretroviral access and collaborated with civil and religious groups to develop appropriate counseling, education, and prevention programs to all of its citizens.

Question 15

How does the prion specifically function inside the human body?

Accepted Answer

Prions cause the reorganization of other proteins, specifically converting normal cellular prion protein (PrPC) into the misfolded, infectious form (PrPSc). This conversion leads to the accumulation of PrPSc in the brain, disrupting normal cellular processes and causing neurodegeneration. Unlike viruses or bacteria, prions do not induce an inflammatory immune response, making them particularly insidious.

Question 16

Which of the following is an example of a hormone-disrupting chemical?

Accepted Answer

DES (diethylstilbestrol) is a hormone-disrupting chemical that was commonly prescribed to pregnant women from the 1940s to 1970s. It was later found to cause cancer in the women who took it and health problems in their children, including reproductive issues and hormone imbalances. SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) are not hormone-disrupting chemicals, while CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and DVD (digital versatile disc) are not options that are relevant to the question.

Question 17

According to the text,what is a major challenge in assessing the impact of new cultural practices?

Accepted Answer

The text states that "assessing the impact of new cultural practices can be difficult because the consequences may not appear for years." This indicates that a major challenge in assessing impact is the delayed manifestation of outcomes.

Question 18

A Western doctor's "white coat" can be compared to a shaman's:

Accepted Answer

A shaman's drum or rattle is used as a tool for healing and for entering into a trance state to communicate with the spirit world. Similarly, a Western doctor's "white coat" is a symbol of their profession and can be viewed as a tool that they use to heal and communicate with their patients.

Question 19

A biological abnormality is called a(n):

Accepted Answer

A biological abnormality is typically referred to as a "disease," which is a condition that impairs normal functioning and is usually manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms.

Question 20

An approach to human sickness and health that combines principles of evolutionary theory and human evolutionary history is called:

Accepted Answer

The approach that combines principles of evolutionary theory and human evolutionary history to understand human sickness and health is called evolutionary medicine. This approach seeks to understand how natural selection has shaped the human body and how the evolutionary history of humans has influenced our susceptibility to certain diseases and conditions. It also aims to identify the evolutionary trade-offs that contribute to certain health problems and to identify new approaches for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.

Quiz 12: Human Adaptation to a Changing World