Question 1

A nurse is designing a community healthcare budget and wants to ensure that sufficient resources are allocated for children with birth defects. In order to set the budget, the nurse needs to determine which measure related to children with birth defects in the community of focus?

A) Ratio
B) Rate
C) Data count
D) Prevalence

D

Accepted Answer

Prevalence is the measure that indicates the total number of cases of birth defects in the community at a given time, which is essential for budgeting resources effectively.

Question 2

Which of the following is an example of a cyclical trend in epidemiology?&#10;A) The birth rate throughout the history of the United States&#10;B) The predicted death rate in the United States for 2025&#10;C) The rate of RSV admissions in the fall of each year in the western United States&#10;D) The rate of RSV related deaths annually in the United States

Accepted Answer

Cyclical trends in epidemiology refer to patterns that repeat at regular intervals, such as seasonal variations. The rate of RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) admissions in the fall each year is an example of a cyclical trend due to its seasonal nature.

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of a pandemic?&#10;A) An outbreak of cholera in Africa&#10;B) An outbreak of cholera in the Southern Hemisphere&#10;C) An outbreak of cholera in London, England&#10;D) An outbreak of cholera worldwide

Accepted Answer

A pandemic is an outbreak of a disease that occurs on a global scale, affecting a large number of people across multiple countries or continents. An outbreak of cholera worldwide fits this definition.

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of a case series in epidemiology?&#10;A) Five men in Europe have died following the onset of similar symptoms of fever, convulsions, and uncontrollable bleeding.&#10;B) The influenza virus for the current year has symptoms of prolonged fever, malaise, and abdominal discomfort.&#10;C) The common cold is best treated with rest, increased fluids, multivitamins, and acetaminophen.&#10;D) Twenty percent of the population of Rhode Island has experienced similar symptoms of fever and upper respiratory infection.

Accepted Answer

A case series in epidemiology refers to a descriptive study that tracks patients with a known exposure or examines their medical records for exposure and outcome. Option A describes a group of individuals with similar symptoms, which fits the definition of a case series.

Question 5

Which measure could not be determined using data from a cross-sectional study of obesity and type II diabetes?&#10;A) An estimate of the percentage of the population that exhibits both obesity and type II diabetes&#10;B) An estimate of the magnitude of the association between obesity and type II diabetes&#10;C) An estimate of the strength of the cause-and-effect relationship between obesity and type II diabetes&#10;D) An estimate of the percentage of the population that exhibits neither obesity nor type II diabetes

Accepted Answer

Cross-sectional studies can provide data on prevalence and associations but cannot establish causality or the strength of cause-and-effect relationships.

Question 6

Which of the following groups would be used in a case-control study?&#10;A) A group with breast cancer and a group with brain cancer&#10;B) Two groups with breast cancer diagnosed at different times&#10;C) A group with breast cancer and a group without breast cancer&#10;D) A group younger than age 40 with breast cancer and a group older than age 40 with breast cancer

Accepted Answer

In a case-control study, researchers compare individuals with a specific condition (cases) to those without it (controls) to identify factors associated with the condition.

Question 7

A nurse researcher interested in the relationship between radiation exposure and cancer divides participants into two groups: those who are regularly exposed to higher-than-average levels of radiation on the job and those who are not. The nurse will follow both groups to see how many in each group eventually develop a form of cancer. What type of study is the nurse designing?

A) Cross-sectional
B) Case-control
C) Intervention
D) Cohort

Accepted Answer

The nurse is designing a cohort study, which involves following two groups over time to compare the incidence of an outcome, such as cancer, based on their exposure status.

Question 8

A nurse researcher is designing an intervention study with two participant groups. Which of the following participant groups would be most appropriate for an intervention study of a new medication for patients with diagnosed hypertension?

A) Group A receives the new medication for hypertension; Group B receives a new medication for hyperlipidemia.
B) Group A receives the new medication for hypertension; Group B receives acupuncture and personal training to treat hypertension.
C) Group A receives the new medication for hypertension; Group B receives a placebo medication.
D) Group A receives the new medication for hypertension; Group B does not have hypertension but is treated for depression.

Accepted Answer

A placebo group is commonly used in intervention studies to compare the effects of the new medication against no active treatment, ensuring that any observed effects are due to the medication itself.

Question 9

If a population is identified to be high-risk for an untreatable condition, medical professionals have an ethical responsibility to screen individuals for the condition.

Accepted Answer

The answer of If a population is identified to be...

Question 10

If a screening test results in a significant number of false-negative results, the sensitivity of the test needs to be improved.

Accepted Answer

Sensitivity measures the ability of a test to correctly identify those with the disease. A high number of false negatives indicates low sensitivity, so improving sensitivity would reduce false negatives.

Deck 8: Epidemiologic Designs: Using Data to Understand Populations