In a particular community,several high school students were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus Type 2 during the annual high school health fair.Over the next few years,the nursing staff developed and implemented educational programs about the risk factors for diabetes mellitus Type 2 and proper nutrition.Which of the following would be most useful for the nurses to use to determine if they are having any impact?
A) The epidemic of diabetes in the high school is gradually ending.
B) The incidence of diabetes is slowly decreasing during screening events.
C) The prevalence of diabetes is slowly decreasing during screening events.
D) The risk for diabetes is slowly increasing over time.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Incidence rates and incidence proportions are the measure of choice to study etiology because incidence is affected only by factors related to the risk of developing disease and not to survival or cure.If the educational programs are having the desired impact,the incidence of diabetes being diagnosed will decrease in future screenings.Prevalence is a fairly stable number over time,but incidence reacts more quickly to changes in risk factors or intervention programs.In order for an epidemic to have occurred,the rate of the illness would have had to exceed the usual level of that condition.There is no evidence in this question to support that the disease was at an epidemic level in this population.If the educational programs are effective,the risk for diabetes should be slowly decreasing over time.

In a Particular Community,several High School Students Were Diagnosed with Diabetes