Epidemiology Principles: Master the Fundamentals of Disease Investigation

Question 1

A measure that quantifies the proportion of individuals in a population who are exposed to a particular risk factor is known as:

Accepted Answer

Risk

Answer

Prevalence

Answer

Incidence

Answer

Odds ratio

Question 2

A study that compares individuals with a specific disease to individuals without the disease to identify potential risk factors is called a:

Accepted Answer

Case-control study

Answer

Cross-sectional study

Answer

Cohort study

Answer

Experimental study

Question 3

The systematic inquiry into the distribution and determinants of health-related states and events in populations is the domain of:

Accepted Answer

Epidemiology

Answer

Demography

Answer

Biostatistics

Answer

Public health

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT a measure of disease frequency used in epidemiology?

Accepted Answer

Risk

Answer

Incidence

Answer

Prevalence

Answer

Mortality

Question 5

Which of the following is a measure of disease incidence?

Accepted Answer

Number of new cases of a disease in a population over a specific period of time

Answer

Total number of cases of a disease in a population at a specific point in time

Answer

Average number of cases of a disease in a population over a specific period of time

Answer

Number of deaths from a disease in a population over a specific period of time

Question 6

A cohort study follows a group of individuals over a period of time to investigate:

Accepted Answer

The incidence and risk factors of a disease

Answer

The prevalence of a disease in a population

Answer

The effectiveness of an intervention

Answer

The association between an exposure and a disease

Question 7

The Bradford Hill criteria are used to assess the:

Accepted Answer

Causation between an exposure and a disease

Answer

Association between an exposure and a disease

Answer

Validity of a scientific study

Answer

Ethical implications of an intervention

Question 8

The incubation period of an infectious disease refers to the time between:

Accepted Answer

Exposure to the pathogen and the onset of symptoms

Answer

Onset of symptoms and recovery from the disease

Answer

Recovery from the disease and development of immunity

Answer

Exposure to the pathogen and recovery from the disease

Question 9

A case-control study compares individuals who have a disease to those who do not to investigate:

Accepted Answer

The association between an exposure and a disease

Answer

The incidence and risk factors of a disease

Answer

The prevalence of a disease in a population

Answer

The effectiveness of an intervention

Question 10

The prevalence of a disease is the:

Accepted Answer

Total number of cases of a disease in a population at a specific point in time

Answer

Number of new cases of a disease in a population over a specific period of time

Answer

Average number of cases of a disease in a population over a specific period of time

Answer

Number of deaths from a disease in a population over a specific period of time

Question 11

Which of the following is NOT a measure of disease occurrence?

Accepted Answer

Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs)

Answer

Prevalence

Answer

Incidence

Answer

Mortality

Question 12

An observational study where the researcher follows individuals over time to observe the development of disease is known as a:

Accepted Answer

Cohort study

Answer

Cross-sectional study

Answer

Case-control study

Answer

Experimental study

Question 13

What is the primary purpose of a confidence interval in epidemiology?

Accepted Answer

To estimate the range of possible values for a population parameter

Answer

To determine the statistical significance of a finding

Answer

To adjust for confounding factors

Answer

To calculate the prevalence

Question 14

The distribution of a disease according to socioeconomic status is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Person characteristic

Answer

Time trend

Answer

Geographic distribution

Answer

Genetic distribution

Question 15

The use of data collected in the present to estimate past events is known as:

Accepted Answer

Retrospective

Answer

Prospective

Answer

Cross-sectional

Answer

Case-control

Question 16

Which of the following is an advantage of experimental studies in epidemiology?

Accepted Answer

High internal validity

Answer

Generalizability

Answer

Cost-effectiveness

Answer

Ethical considerations

Question 17

Differentiate between incidence and prevalence.

Accepted Answer

Incidence measures the number of new cases of a disease within a defined period, while prevalence measures the number of existing cases of a disease at a specific point in time.

Answer

Prevalence is higher than incidence in the early stages of an outbreak, while incidence is higher than prevalence in the later stages.

Answer

Incidence is measured in terms of person-years, while prevalence is measured in terms of person-days.

Question 18

What is the primary purpose of a case-control study?

Accepted Answer

To investigate the association between a potential risk factor and a disease outcome by comparing individuals with the disease (cases) to those without the disease (controls).

Answer

To determine the incidence of a disease in a population.

Answer

To measure the prevalence of a disease in a population.

Question 19

Identify the primary limitation of cross-sectional studies:

Accepted Answer

They cannot establish temporal relationships between exposure and outcome due to the data being collected at a single point in time.

Answer

They require a large sample size.

Answer

They are susceptible to recall bias.

Question 20

Define the role of confounding in epidemiologic studies.

Accepted Answer

Confounding is the presence of an extraneous factor that is associated with both the exposure and the outcome, potentially distorting the observed relationship between them.

Answer

Confounding is only a concern in cohort studies.

Answer

Confounding strengthens the association between exposure and outcome.

Question 21

What is the primary objective of a systematic review?

Accepted Answer

To synthesize and critically appraise the findings of multiple studies on a specific topic, providing a comprehensive overview of the available evidence.

Answer

To evaluate the quality of a single study.

Answer

To design a new research study.

Question 22

What is the significance of ethics in epidemiology?

Accepted Answer

To ensure that research is conducted in a responsible and ethical manner, protecting the rights and well-being of human subjects and maintaining data confidentiality.

Answer

To promote research collaborations between institutions.

Answer

To secure funding for research projects.