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Community Health Nursing Practice Questions — 100 Questions with Answers and
Rationales
Section 1: Epidemiology and Biostatistics (1–12)
1. A community has 500 new cases of influenza in a population of 10,000 over one month.
What is the incidence rate?
Answer: 5% (50 per 1,000). Incidence = new cases ÷ population at risk.
2. Which measure describes the total number of existing cases in a population at a given
time?
Answer: Prevalence. Prevalence includes both new and existing cases.
3. The nurse is investigating a foodborne illness outbreak. Which rate measures the
proportion of people exposed who became ill?
Answer: Attack rate. Attack rate = number ill ÷ number exposed.
4. Which study design is best for investigating a rare disease?
Answer: Case-control study. It starts with outcomes and looks backward.
5. What does a relative risk of 3.0 indicate?
Answer: Exposed individuals are 3 times more likely to develop the outcome than
unexposed.
6. Which mortality measure reflects deaths in infants under 1 year per 1,000 live births?
Answer: Infant mortality rate.
7. The nurse is calculating a case fatality rate. Which formula is correct?
Answer: Deaths from a specific disease ÷ total diagnosed with that disease × 100.
8. Which term describes the resistance of a population to disease spread due to immunity
in a large portion of members?
Answer: Herd immunity.
9. A disease that is constantly present in a community is called:
Answer: Endemic.
10. A sudden increase in cases above the expected level in a community is called:
Answer: Epidemic.
11. A worldwide epidemic is called:
Answer: Pandemic.
12. Which screening test characteristic measures the ability to correctly identify those with
disease?
Answer: Sensitivity.
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Section 2: Community Assessment (13–24)
13. Which assessment method involves driving through a community to observe housing,
resources, and conditions?
Answer: Windshield survey.
14. Which model views the community as a partner in identifying and solving its own
health problems?
Answer: Community-as-partner model.
15. The nurse is conducting a community needs assessment. Which data source is
considered primary?
Answer: Interviews, surveys, and direct observation.
16. Which data source is considered secondary?
Answer: Census data, vital statistics, and published reports.
17. Which component of a community assessment examines the physical environment?
Answer: Geographic and environmental factors.
18. The nurse is assessing a community's structure. Which element is included?
Answer: Health services, economy, education, and government.
19. Which assessment component examines the community's beliefs, values, and norms?
Answer: Sociocultural factors.
20. The nurse identifies a high rate of teen pregnancy. Which level of prevention is most
appropriate first?
Answer: Primary prevention (education and access to contraception).
21. Which data collection method allows the nurse to gather input from many community
members at once?
Answer: Focus groups or community forums.
22. Which assessment tool identifies community strengths and assets rather than deficits?
Answer: Asset mapping.
23. The nurse is prioritizing community health needs. Which factor is most important?
Answer: The number of people affected and the severity of the problem.
24. Which step comes first in the nursing process for community health?
Answer: Assessment.
Section 3: Levels of Prevention (25–34)
25. Immunization against measles is an example of:
Answer: Primary prevention.
Community Health Nursing Practice Questions — 100 Questions with Answers and
Rationales
Section 1: Epidemiology and Biostatistics (1–12)
1. A community has 500 new cases of influenza in a population of 10,000 over one month.
What is the incidence rate?
Answer: 5% (50 per 1,000). Incidence = new cases ÷ population at risk.
2. Which measure describes the total number of existing cases in a population at a given
time?
Answer: Prevalence. Prevalence includes both new and existing cases.
3. The nurse is investigating a foodborne illness outbreak. Which rate measures the
proportion of people exposed who became ill?
Answer: Attack rate. Attack rate = number ill ÷ number exposed.
4. Which study design is best for investigating a rare disease?
Answer: Case-control study. It starts with outcomes and looks backward.
5. What does a relative risk of 3.0 indicate?
Answer: Exposed individuals are 3 times more likely to develop the outcome than
unexposed.
6. Which mortality measure reflects deaths in infants under 1 year per 1,000 live births?
Answer: Infant mortality rate.
7. The nurse is calculating a case fatality rate. Which formula is correct?
Answer: Deaths from a specific disease ÷ total diagnosed with that disease × 100.
8. Which term describes the resistance of a population to disease spread due to immunity
in a large portion of members?
Answer: Herd immunity.
9. A disease that is constantly present in a community is called:
Answer: Endemic.
10. A sudden increase in cases above the expected level in a community is called:
Answer: Epidemic.
11. A worldwide epidemic is called:
Answer: Pandemic.
12. Which screening test characteristic measures the ability to correctly identify those with
disease?
Answer: Sensitivity.
, 2
Section 2: Community Assessment (13–24)
13. Which assessment method involves driving through a community to observe housing,
resources, and conditions?
Answer: Windshield survey.
14. Which model views the community as a partner in identifying and solving its own
health problems?
Answer: Community-as-partner model.
15. The nurse is conducting a community needs assessment. Which data source is
considered primary?
Answer: Interviews, surveys, and direct observation.
16. Which data source is considered secondary?
Answer: Census data, vital statistics, and published reports.
17. Which component of a community assessment examines the physical environment?
Answer: Geographic and environmental factors.
18. The nurse is assessing a community's structure. Which element is included?
Answer: Health services, economy, education, and government.
19. Which assessment component examines the community's beliefs, values, and norms?
Answer: Sociocultural factors.
20. The nurse identifies a high rate of teen pregnancy. Which level of prevention is most
appropriate first?
Answer: Primary prevention (education and access to contraception).
21. Which data collection method allows the nurse to gather input from many community
members at once?
Answer: Focus groups or community forums.
22. Which assessment tool identifies community strengths and assets rather than deficits?
Answer: Asset mapping.
23. The nurse is prioritizing community health needs. Which factor is most important?
Answer: The number of people affected and the severity of the problem.
24. Which step comes first in the nursing process for community health?
Answer: Assessment.
Section 3: Levels of Prevention (25–34)
25. Immunization against measles is an example of:
Answer: Primary prevention.
