Epidemiology quiz Flashcards
Which study designs uses aggregate data, such as population rates, to determine the association between exposure and outcome?
Ecological studies
Ecological studies use aggregate data, rather than data on individuals’ exposures, characteristics, and outcomes. In ecological studies, the descriptive component considers variations in disease rates by person, place, or time. The analytic component in ecological studies tries to determine if there is a relationship between disease rates and variations in rates for possible risk (or protective) factors or characteristics.
A business executive develops symptoms of the flu one day after returning by air from a cross-Atlantic business trip that ran for two consecutive, stressful 10-hour days. What relationships are illustrated by this development of flu symptoms?
Host, agent, and environment
Epidemiologists understand that disease results from complex relationships among causal agents, susceptible persons, and environmental factors. These three elements—agent, host, and environment—are called the
A CHN teaches a client with asthma to recognize and avoid exposure to asthma triggers and assists the family in implementing specific protection strategies, such as removing carpets and avoiding pets. What level of intervention is represented by this practice?
Primary prevention
Twenty people attended a church picnic on the weekend. By Monday, four individuals exhibited symptoms of food poisoning. On Tuesday, the CHN records the addition of two new cases. What is the incidence rate for this occurrence?
CORRECT
Two new cases divided by 16 at risk
Studies in analytic epidemiology differ from descriptive epidemiology because they seek to answer what kind of questions?
The why of disease patterns
A description of health-related patterns in a population should take into account which information?
The size of the population at risk during a specified time period
Any description of disease patterns should take into account the size of the population at risk for the disease. That is, it should look not only at the numerator (the number of cases) but also at the denominator (the number of people in the population at risk) during the specified time period each was observed.
Nurses in community health often use epidemiology because in the community, it is often difficult to control the environment. Which statement demonstrates an epidemiological strategy for monitoring disease trends?
A CHN investigates reported cases of whooping cough in an elementary school.
Nurses are a key part of the interdisciplinary team in community settings and are involved in the surveillance and monitoring of disease trends.
Who was historically described as the “father of epidemiology?”
Snow
One of the most famous studies using a comparison group is the mid-nineteenth-century investigation of cholera by John Snow, whom some call the “father of epidemiology.” Snow drew a map of areas of cholera occurrence and found that the cases were clustered around a single public water pump. He was thus able to show that the contaminated water supply was related to the outbreak of cholera.
A breast cancer screening program screened 8 000 women and discovered cancer in 35 women who had previously been diagnosed with breast cancer and in 20 women with no previous history of breast cancer. What is the prevalence rate of breast cancer in this scenario?
Current and past breast cancer events in this population of women
One of the basic concepts in epidemiology is the concept of risk. How is risk can be defined?
The probability that an event will occur within a specified time period.
Which epidemiological approach is criticized because it takes a narrow view and limits findings by studying individuals, rather than studying the environment and societal influences where the risks often begin?
Risk-factor approach
Debate has arisen around the use of the risk-factor approach in epidemiology. This approach looks at the relationship between risk factors and disease in populations as client. Supporters argue that identifying risk factors is crucial in public health research and that risk-factor studies need to continue with a greater focus on validity and precision. A concern raised about using the risk-factor epidemiological approach is that it takes a narrow view and limits findings by studying individuals, rather than the environment and societal influences where risks often begin.
Which test measure is affected by the prevalence of disease in the screened population?
Predictive value
Although sensitivity and specificity are relatively independent of the prevalence of disease, predictive values are affected by the level of disease in the screened population and by the sensitivity and specificity of the test.
Notable developments in history have contributed to the science of epidemiology. List, in order of occurrence (earliest to most recent event), the following developments that contributed to this science.
Germ theory, pasteurization, and antiseptic surgery
Person, place, and time examined for influence on health
Appearance of Ebola virus and drug-resistant forms of old diseases
Effective vaccinations, immunizations, and mass screening programs implemented
A nurse is concerned about the accuracy of a purified protein derivative (PPD) test in identifying cases of TB exposure for follow-up chest X-ray. Which measure will help the nurse address the validity of the test?
Sensitivity
Validity of a screening test is measured by sensitivity and specificity.
Clinical medicine and epidemiology differ with respect to which major aspect?
Practice focus
