Question 1

To understand the causes of health and disease, which of the following does epidemiology study?

Accepted Answer

Epidemiology studies populations in order to understand the distribution and determinants of health and disease. While individuals, families, and groups may be studied, these are typically within the context of a larger population.

Question 2

The rate that best indicates the proportion of people exposed to an agent who develop the disease is:

Accepted Answer

The attack rate is the number of new cases of a disease among those exposed to an agent divided by the total number of people exposed, expressed as a percentage. This rate best indicates the proportion of people who developed the disease after exposure to the agent, making it the most appropriate choice. Incidence indicates the number of new cases of a disease in a population during a specified period of time, prevalence indicates the number of existing cases of a disease in a population at a specific point in time, and susceptibility refers to the lack of immunity to a particular disease. While these rates may be useful in certain contexts, they do not best indicate the proportion of people who develop the disease after exposure.

Question 3

An epidemic occurs when the rate of disease, injury, or other condition exceeds the usual level of that condition. Which of the following would be considered an epidemic?

Accepted Answer

B

Question 4

The field of epidemiology continues to evolve. Which of the following is a major contribution of epidemiology?

Accepted Answer

Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health and disease in populations. Therefore, one of its major contributions is the understanding of the factors that contribute to health and disease, which helps to inform public health policies and interventions. Although epidemiology has played a role in the development of health promotion and disease cure, these are not its primary contributions. Additionally, while epidemiology has helped to control and manage infectious diseases, it has not yet led to their complete eradication. Finally, while epidemiology can inform and guide health policy, it does not make policy decisions in and of itself.

Question 5

A measure of morbidity often used in infectious disease investigations is the attack rate. Attack rates are often specific to an exposure. An example of an attack rate is:

Accepted Answer

The attack rate is a proportion of the population that becomes ill after exposure to a specific agent. In option D, the proportion of people becoming ill after eating at a fast-food restaurant is an example of an attack rate since it is specific to a particular exposure. The other options do not fit the definition of attack rate as they are not specific to any particular exposure.

Question 6

When the rate of disease, injury, or other condition exceeds the usual level of that condition, it is called:

Accepted Answer

An epidemic is defined as a sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease or condition above what is normally expected in a population or geographical area. It typically affects a large number of people at the same time in a specific region or community. A pandemic refers to a disease outbreak that has spread across multiple countries and continents, affecting a large number of people. Endemic refers to the constant presence of a disease or condition within a particular geographic area or population group. Mortality refers to the number of deaths in a population.

Question 7

A screening for diabetes revealed 20 previously diagnosed diabetics and 10 probable new cases, which were later confirmed, for a total of 30 cases. This is called:

Accepted Answer

Prevalence refers to the total number of cases of a particular disease or condition in a specific population at a certain time. In this case, the screening revealed a total of 30 cases of diabetes, including both previously diagnosed cases and new cases that were later confirmed. Therefore, the correct term to use is prevalence.

Question 8

With the increase in chronic disease, epidemiologists realized the necessity of looking beyond single agents toward a multifactorial etiology. What does this imply?

Accepted Answer

The implication of looking beyond single agents toward a multifactorial etiology is that the focus should be on the factors or combinations and levels of factors contributing to disease, rather than simply the genetics and molecular structure of the disease or the study of individual organisms that cause a disease like cholera. This shift in focus recognizes the complex interactions between biological, environmental, behavioral, and social factors that can influence the development of chronic diseases.

Question 9

The method that attempts to identify the determinants of disease in individuals is referred to as:

Accepted Answer

Analytic epidemiology is the branch of epidemiology that attempts to identify the determinants of disease in individuals or populations by analyzing data on exposure and disease status. Descriptive epidemiology focuses on describing the distribution of disease, while intervention studies test the effectiveness of interventions, and ecological studies examine the relationship between exposure and disease at the population level.

Question 10

The probability an event will occur within a specified period of time is called:

Accepted Answer

Risk is the probability that an event will occur within a specified period of time.

Question 11

An epidemiologist wanting to know what caused severe diarrhea and vomiting in several people at a local banquet would be using which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Analytic epidemiology is a method of study that aims to identify associations and possible causative factors between exposures and outcomes. In this scenario, the epidemiologist is trying to determine the cause of severe diarrhea and vomiting, which involves identifying potential risk factors and exposures that could have led to the illness. Descriptive epidemiology (A) involves the collection and analysis of data to describe patterns of disease occurrence, while distribution (C) refers to the patterns of disease occurrence in a population. Determinants (D) are the factors that contribute to the occurrence and distribution of disease. While these concepts are related to the study of disease, they are not specifically applicable to determining the cause of an outbreak as in this scenario.

Question 12

John Snow is called the "father of epidemiology" because of his work with:

Accepted Answer

John Snow is considered the "father of epidemiology" due to his work with cholera. In 1854, he tracked the sources of a cholera outbreak in London and determined that contaminated water from a pump on Broad Street was the cause, leading to improvements in sanitation and understanding of disease transmission.

Question 13

Which of the following looks at health outcomes in terms of what, who, where, and when?

Accepted Answer

Descriptive epidemiology examines health outcomes in terms of the what (disease or health condition), who (affected population), where (geographic location), and when (time period). This type of analysis is often used to develop hypotheses about potential causes of health outcomes. Analytic epidemiology, on the other hand, tests these hypotheses by analyzing data to determine the relationships between exposure to risk factors and health outcomes. Distribution refers to how health outcomes are distributed among different populations, while determinants are the factors that contribute to the development of a particular health outcome.

Question 14

The epidemiologic triangle consists of three components: agent, host, and environment. Which of the following is an example of an agent?

Accepted Answer

Salmonella is an example of an agent, which is a biologic or chemical factor that causes disease or health problems. Human population distribution, genetic susceptibility, and climate are all examples of environmental factors that can influence health outcomes.

Question 15

Mortality rates are key epidemiologic indicators to nurses. They reflect serious health problems and changing patterns of disease. Which of the following is true about mortality rates? Mortality rates:

Accepted Answer

Mortality rates are informative only for fatal diseases because they measure the frequency of death in a population, not the prevalence or incidence of non-fatal diseases.

Question 16

Which of the following would be considered a serious epidemic of influenza?

Accepted Answer

The seriousness of an influenza epidemic cannot be determined solely by the number of cases; it depends on the population size (denominator) and other factors such as the severity of the cases and the rate of spread.

Question 17

Which of the following are the factors, exposures, characteristics, and behaviors that determine patterns of disease?

Accepted Answer

The determinants are the factors, exposures, characteristics, and behaviors that determine patterns of disease. Descriptive epidemiology refers to the study of the distribution of disease, while analytic epidemiology examines the relationships between determinants and health outcomes. Distribution is a component of both descriptive and analytic epidemiology.

Question 18

The number of new cases developing in a population at risk during a specified period is called what kind of rate?

Accepted Answer

Incidence is the rate of new cases developing in a population at risk during a specified period; prevalence is the total number of cases in a population at a particular time point; attack rate is the incidence of a specific disease or illness in a short period of time in a specific population; morbidity refers to the proportion of individuals who have a particular disease or illness.

Question 19

The measure of the frequency of a health event in a "defined population in a specified period of time" is a:

Accepted Answer

A rate is the appropriate measure for the frequency of a health event in a defined population over a specified period of time, whereas a ratio compares two quantities, a proportion expresses the part of a whole, and risk is a measure of probability or chance of an event occurring.

Question 20

The patterns of health events of populations are:

Accepted Answer

The patterns of health events of populations refer to the distribution of diseases, which is a key component of epidemiology.

Quiz 11: Epidemiology