HLTH 236 Midterm Exam - Questions with
Verified Answers + EVIDENCE BASED
RATIONALES.
Question 1
Hispanic teen pregnancy rates are:
A) Lowest of all groups and increasing
B) Highest of all groups but increasing
C) Highest of all groups but declining like all other groups
D) Similar to non-Hispanic whites
Answer: C) Highest of all groups but declining like all other groups
Rationale:
Data from the CDC and HHS show that while Hispanic teens historically had the
highest birth rates among all racial/ethnic groups, rates have been declining
steadily since the early 2000s, mirroring national trends. The decline is attributed
to increased sex education, access to contraception, and cultural shifts.
Question 2
All of the following are characteristics of ethnicity EXCEPT:
A) Shared language
B) Common ancestry
C) Eye color
D) Cultural traditions
Answer: C) Eye color
Rationale:
Ethnicity refers to shared cultural, linguistic, or ancestral traits. Eye color is
,a biological/genetic characteristic, not a cultural one, and is therefore associated
with race, not ethnicity.
Question 3
__________ refers to the total effect of a person's actions and conduct during
the successive phases of the person's existence that determines the person's
destiny.
A) Dharma
B) Karma
C) Samsara
D) Moksha
Answer: B) Karma
Rationale:
In Hinduism, Buddhism, and other Eastern traditions, karma is the cumulative
effect of a person’s actions (good or bad) across lifetimes, influencing future
existence. It is distinct from dharma (duty) or samsara (cycle of rebirth).
Question 4
Which of the following is the emerging challenge for health communication?
A) Health literacy disparities
B) Misinformation on social media
C) Cultural competence gaps
D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Rationale:
Modern health communication faces multiple emerging challenges: low health
literacy, rapid spread of false information online, and persistent cultural
incompetence in clinical settings. Addressing only one is insufficient.
Question 5
,Which of the following statements is incorrect?
A) Spirituality is more associated with behaviors that can be quantified easier
than religion
B) Religion often involves organized practices and doctrine
C) Spirituality can exist without religion
D) Religion is more associated with institutionalized beliefs
Answer: A) Spirituality is more associated with behaviors that can be quantified
easier than the term Religion
Rationale:
Spirituality is actually less easily quantified than religion because it is subjective,
personal, and varies widely. Religion often has measurable practices (e.g.,
attendance, rituals), making it easier to study behaviorally.
Question 6
__________ was convened to evaluate CAM utilization in the U.S. and to make
recommendations regarding future governmental action.
A) FDA Advisory Committee
B) NIH Office of Alternative Medicine
C) White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy
D) National Center for Health Statistics
Answer: C) White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative
Medicine Policy
Rationale:
Established in 2000 under President Clinton, this commission assessed CAM use,
research needs, and policy recommendations. It led to increased federal funding
and the creation of NCCIH (National Center for Complementary and Integrative
Health).
Question 7
, __________ refers to the process in which the healthcare professional
continually strives to achieve the ability and availability to effectively work
within the cultural context of a client.
A) Cultural awareness
B) Cultural competence
C) Cultural humility
D) Cultural sensitivity
Answer: B) Cultural competence
Rationale:
Cultural competence is an ongoing process of developing skills, knowledge, and
attitudes to work effectively across cultures. It includes self-assessment and
adaptation to client needs.
Question 8
__________ refers to a set of actions that are usually structured and have
symbolic value or meaning.
A) Customs
B) Rituals
C) Norms
D) Taboos
Answer: B) Rituals
Rationale:
Rituals are repeated, structured actions with symbolic meaning (e.g., prayer,
ceremonies, handwashing in some traditions). They differ from customs (broader
social habits) or taboos (forbidden acts).
Question 9
__________ refers to using a non-mainstream approach in place of conventional
medicine.
A) Complementary medicine