Question 1

A nurse is using Pender's model to explain what influences individuals to pursue health promotion activities. Which of the following factors would be examined? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

Fear and threat are not aspects of Pender's model. Although fear may cause an initial attempt at change, fear is not a long-term motivator for ongoing action. Pender does include perceived benefits, perceived self-efficacy, interpersonal influences, and available situational (environmental) options as factors that motivate persons to engage in health actions.

Question 2

Which of the following best describes why risk reduction is of such importance in the United States today?

Accepted Answer

Approximately 50% of annual U.S. deaths occur as a result of modifiable lifestyle factors. The leading causes of death with the highest mortality are all related to lifestyle factors. A change in these factors will also reduce health care expenditures and insurance costs for those persons with insurance. However, unnecessary deaths are even more important.

Question 3

A nurse reviewed information before meeting with the community residents who were attending a program on healthful living. Which of the following best describes the action by the nurse?

Accepted Answer

Health promotion is any combination of health education and related support for health behaviors. It is not specific protection or disease prevention because no specific disease is being avoided. Although healthful living may indeed improve health, there is nothing to suggest the attendees were not currently healthy.

Question 4

A 50-year-old woman comes to the clinic for her first mammogram. Which of the following best describes the action of this client?

Accepted Answer

Health protection is used to detect disease in its early state or maximize health within the constraints of disease. Unfortunately, screening will not prevent disease. Screenings are a secondary health promotion-not a primary health promotion.

Question 5

A nurse is using the health belief model to help a client improve lifestyle choices. Which of the following interventions would the nurse most likely implement? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

An effective way to evoke action begins with examining the individual's perceptions of his or her health and current lifestyle choices so education to change perceptions can occur. Sharing information regarding the probability of illness or perceived susceptibility and using communication channels to serve as cues to action may both be motivating. Similarly, reviewing how lifestyle changes can reduce risk and improve life may change the person's perception of the benefits of acting. Unfortunately, although people have to know what to do and how to do it before they can take action, information alone will not motivate people to act. Continued harassment, as in emphasizing how important it is for people to act, also is not motivating.

Question 6

A young couple is searching for a home in a new neighborhood. Which of the following neighborhoods would most likely promote a healthy lifestyle?

Accepted Answer

One's environment is a significant factor. Those living in neighborhoods with high walkability engage in significantly more walking than those living in neighborhoods with low walkability. Having health and recreational facilities in the neighborhood can assist with health, but the family would need to be able to afford to purchase services at these businesses. Having a large active military base nearby would not play a major role related to the healthy lifestyle in the neighborhood.

Question 7

Which of the following is the best definition of health?

Accepted Answer

Health was originally defined as a lack of illness or disease. More recently, health has been defined as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. Today, health's definition is based on the realization that health allows one to realize aspirations, to satisfy needs, and to change or cope with the environment. Health is a goal but also a resource for living.

Question 8

A nurse is completing a health history with a client. Which of the following questions would be most important to include?

Accepted Answer

As smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths, accounting for about one out of every five deaths, it is crucial that tobacco use be queried in each health history. After asking about tobacco use, the others should also be included in a health history.

Question 9

Which of the following is the cause of most preventable deaths in the United States?

Accepted Answer

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths, accounting for about one out of every five deaths.

Question 10

A nurse is using the theory of reasoned action when working with a client to exercise on a regular basis. Which of the following would be the easiest way for the nurse to determine if the client will engage in this activity?

Accepted Answer

The theory of reasoned action attempts to predict a person's intention to perform or not perform a certain behavior based on the assumption that all behavior is determined by one's behavioral intention. The client's perception of the threat of illness, the opinion of society, and benefits of regular exercise are not major factors discussed using the theory of reasoned action.

Question 11

During a health history, the client looked confused and said, "But everybody drinks, like at parties and such. How much drinking do you think is too much?" Which of the following would be most appropriate response by the nurse?

Accepted Answer

Because most Americans drink alcohol, it is probably not effective to teach total abstinence. Alcohol in moderation is not a specific answer to the client's question. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest no more than one drink for women and two drinks for men per day, which is a specific response to the client's question.

Question 12

A nurse was becoming frustrated. She had given her client extensive information on his health problem, but the client continued to be noncompliant in making needed changes. Which of the following principles had the nurse forgotten?

Accepted Answer

Information alone is rarely enough to motivate a person to act. Information is necessary to know what to do and how to do it before the person chooses to act, but other factors are primarily responsible for motivating people to change their behavior. Although other priorities may result in delay of change, the fact that the client has returned to the nurse demonstrates interest in changing. Repetition may be helpful, but apparently the nurse has given information on more than one occasion because she believes extensive information has been given.

Question 13

Which of the following best describes the reason why so many Americans are obese?

Accepted Answer

Although many factors have led to obesity in American society-including cultural pressure, increased portion sizes in restaurants (portion distortion), offers of more food at a reduced price ("super-size"), and a perceived lack of time to cook nutritious inexpensive foods-the primary cause remains the consumption of more calories than needed for physical activity. With computers and television as recreational choices, Americans are as a group sedentary rather than physically active.

Question 14

A nurse is using the theory of planned behavior when working with a client to change her behavior and improve her health. Which of the following considerations should be made by the nurse?

Accepted Answer

The theory of planned behavior stresses that perceived control is a major factor in whether or not the client performs the behavior. Thus, the nurse needs to understand the client's beliefs about factors that may facilitate or impede the behaviors. Using this theory, the environment is not considered as a major factor in client change, nor is the analysis as to if the behavior is the most effective approach.

Question 15

The nurse working with a client to change behavior to maximize health asked the client to bring his family to the next visit. Which of the following best describes why the nurse wants the family to come with the client?

Accepted Answer

Under the Theory of Reasoned Action, it is assumed that all behavior is determined by intentions, which are determined by attitude toward the behavior and the norms associated with the behavior. That in turn is determined by whether or not important persons approve or disapprove of the behavior. The family's beliefs about health, support of the client, and communication patterns are irrelevant if the family does not approve of the changes that have been proposed.

Question 16

It is rumored that there is something in the workplace that is causing persons employed there to feel ill. Which of the following actions would be most appropriate for the nurse to take?

Accepted Answer

The media report news; they do not create it without any basis. Researchers are not asked to confirm a preconceived conclusion but to seek what factors are active in a situation. "Group think" is a well-known phenomenon, but one would have to ask what led the communication leaders to believe originally that there was a hazard in the environment. Risk assessment in a questionable situation begins with identifying a possible hazard and describing the risk.

Question 17

Some people believe that the air within their workplace makes them ill. Which of the following premises support this belief?

Accepted Answer

As the question discusses risk, the textbook states that the risk factor must precede the problem and that the problem would increase with exposure. Feeling ill only on workdays would imply that some factor in the workplace is responsible. The media coverage, research related to poisonous vapors, and "group think" responses do not address the fact that the repeated exposure to the risk factor may be what is making them ill.

Question 18

Which of the following factors have a profound, if sometimes unrecognized, impact on one's health? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

Health is affected by biology. Behaviors, social environment, physical environment, policies, and access to quality health care are all factors that affect health. The number and quality of health care providers is not relevant if one does not have access to them because of lack of insurance or financial resources. Understanding the need for healthy lifestyle choices is important, but knowledge alone is not adequate to change behavior.

Question 19

Which of the following risk factors are least subject to modification?

Accepted Answer

An individual may choose to control lifestyle behaviors, nutrition choices, and recreational options. An individual cannot alone control his or her neighborhood, employment setting, or other environmental exposures.

Question 20

Based on statistics, which of the following groups is probably more physically active?

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that those with higher levels of education and higher income enjoy physical activity more. Those of mature age, with less education, with less income, and/or living in the southern U.S. states engage in far less activity.

Quiz 4: Health Promotion and Risk Reduction