Question 1

Overall human life expectancy increased from 31 years in 1900 to what in 2015?

Accepted Answer

In 2015, the global average life expectancy was approximately 70.5 years, reflecting significant improvements in healthcare, nutrition, and living conditions since 1900.

Question 2

According to the text, the People's Republic of China moved to institutionalize traditional Chinese medicine through a number of different strategies, including the export of the practice to other countries. Why was this done?

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to the text, the People's Republic...

Question 3

What has significantly changed in the Ladakh region of the Himalayas?

Accepted Answer

The passage states that urbanization has fragmented community life in Ladakh, indicating significant change in the region. Options A, B, and D are not supported by the passage.

Question 4

According to the text, what is one consequence of the health transition?

Accepted Answer

The health transition, characterized by improvements in medical care, sanitation, and nutrition, has contributed to a significant increase in human life expectancy over the past century.

Question 5

Surgical procedures are integral to which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Surgical procedures are a key aspect of the biomedical model which views illness as a physical issue that can be identified and treated through medical interventions such as surgery. Cultural competency, illness narratives, and ethnomedical practices focus more on understanding the social and cultural dimensions of health and illness.

Question 6

Fieldwork allows the anthropologist to accurately record the life and conditions of a people. These results are almost always shared with others. Such efforts frequently increase awareness of a particular people, but as Paul Farmer notes, rarely result in what?

Accepted Answer

Fieldwork may bring attention to the problems and living conditions of a people, but it rarely leads to direct or indirect intervention to help solve these problems. Paul Farmer emphasizes the need for not only understanding, but also action and intervention to address these issues.

Question 7

According to the United Nations, in 2015, which country had the highest life expectancy at birth?

Accepted Answer

According to the United Nations, in 2015, Hong Kong had the highest life expectancy at birth with an average of 84.3 years.

Question 8

Paul Farmer found rural Haitian residents experiencing very high rates of malnutrition, dysentery, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. Many of these residents were water refugees due to the construction of a hydroelectric dam that had flooded their valley. This problem underlines the difficulty of providing adequate health care in the face of ________.

Accepted Answer

The high rates of malnutrition, dysentery, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS among rural Haitian residents are likely linked to socioeconomic inequality, which can limit access to health care and basic necessities like clean water and adequate nutrition. The displacement caused by the hydroelectric dam's construction may also be part of this inequality. While globalization and rural development projects could potentially exacerbate these issues, there is no explicit evidence in the given scenario to support those options. The government's corruption may also be a factor, but it is not directly connected to the issues of malnutrition and disease.

Question 9

Paul Farmer's work in Haiti using anthropological tools led him to recognize that these same tools could also do what?

Accepted Answer

Paul Farmer's work in Haiti using anthropological tools led him to recognize that these same tools could also help doctors think about health in the broadest possible sense. By understanding the cultural, social, and economic factors that affect health in a given community, doctors can provide more effective and holistic healthcare.

Question 10

Nancy Scheper-Hughes and Margaret Lock reported a case of a woman under tremendous personal stress. How did the medical students respond to the story?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Nancy Scheper-Hughes and Margaret Lock reported a...

Question 11

In Tibet, there are about 200 traditional healers known as amchi who provide health care. What is their system of health care based on?

Accepted Answer

The system of health care provided by traditional healers known as amchi in Tibet is based on achieving balance between body and spirit in the individual.

Question 12

One of the most significant changes that Zanmi Lasante initiated in rural Haiti was the training of local community members as health-care workers. What factor was responsible for their success in identifying local health-care problems and providing basic health services?

Accepted Answer

The success of local community members as health-care workers was due to their ability to understand the local language, social structures, and values. This allowed them to effectively identify local health-care problems and provide basic health services in a culturally appropriate manner. The other options, such as waste treatment and clean water facilities, willingness to work with impoverished peoples and training in the United States, may have contributed to their success but were not the primary factor.

Question 13

Anthropologist and physician Paul Farmer took many steps to improve health conditions in the rural community of Cange. What was one of the most important first steps?

Accepted Answer

Conducting a health census of the community was one of the most important steps taken by Paul Farmer as it helped him understand the health needs of the community, identify the most prevalent diseases, and plan targeted interventions to address the most pressing health problems. This allowed him to develop an evidence-based approach to improving health conditions, rather than relying on assumptions or generalizations.

Question 14

Anthropologists have recognized that Western biomedicine draws heavily on:

Accepted Answer

Western biomedicine draws heavily on enlightenment values, such as empiricism, rationalism, and skepticism, which emphasize the use of scientific knowledge and evidence-based practices. This has shaped the way in which doctors approach the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses, and has been a key factor in the development of modern medicine.

Question 15

Increased migration has increased the popularity of Tibetan medicine in recent decades. How is this form of medicine viewed today by non-Tibetans?

Accepted Answer

Increased migration has brought Tibetan medicine practitioners to countries outside of Tibet and increased interest in Tibetan medicine among non-Tibetans. Tibetan medicine is viewed as a holistic approach that embraces ecological worldviews, meaning that it considers the whole person, their environment, and their spiritual beliefs when treating illness.

Question 16

The dominant idea of health care in the United States is doctors in white coats, hospitals, and advanced technology. What have medical anthropologists found to be the case in regard to this concept in the rest of the world?

Accepted Answer

Medical anthropologists have found that the dominant idea of health care in the United States is not applicable to the rest of the world, where access to doctors in white coats and advanced technology is limited. Most people worldwide rely on traditional medicine systems, community health workers, and herbal remedies as the primary point of access to health care, making doctors in white coats and hospitals the least common point of access for most people.

Question 17

The human ecosystem, composed of trillions of organisms in the human body, is understood as what?

Accepted Answer

The human ecosystem is a complex microbiome, as it consists of trillions of organisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, that interact with each other and with the human host to maintain a balance of health and disease. It is not considered a system of discrete, biological entities, nor is it a collection of bacteria used for treating other diseases, nor is it necessarily a potentially lethal collection of bacteria.

Question 18

What is one important part of medical treatment that the biomedical model overlooks?

Accepted Answer

The biomedical model focuses solely on biological and physical factors in disease and treatment, often neglecting the social and psychological experiences of the patient. This can lead to incomplete or ineffective treatment and a lack of understanding of the patient's overall well-being.

Question 19

What was one of the immediate results of the Zanmi Lasante water project?

Accepted Answer

One of the immediate results of the Zanmi Lasante water project was a noticeable drop in infant mortality, as access to clean water reduces the risk of waterborne illnesses and diseases, which are a major cause of infant mortality.

Question 20

Chinese medicine conceptualizes qi as a type of energy found in all living things, something that must be in balance to maintain good health. According to this view, what are two things mentioned in the text that must remain in balance?

Accepted Answer

Qi in Chinese medicine is often associated with the balance between heaven and Earth, reflecting the harmony needed for good health.

Quiz 16: Health, Illness, and the Body