EPIDEMIOLOGY COMPREHENSIVE EXAM
BUNDLE 2026 TEST PAPER QUESTIONS
AND SOLUTIONS
⩥ Objectives of Epidemiology. Answer: 1. To identify the etiology
(cause) of a disease and the risk factors associated with the disease.
2. To determine the extent of disease found in the community. What is
the burden of disease?
3. To study the natural history and prognosis of the disease
4. To evaluate both existing and new preventative and therapeutic
measures and modes of health care delivery
5. To provide the foundation for developing public policy and regulatory
decisions relating to epidemiologic problems
⩥ Issues in Epidemiology. Answer: -Where there is a link between factor
and health outcome - does this mean the factor is the cause of disease?
-Is there is an association, does the amount of disease vary according to
the amount of exposure to the factor?
-Based on the observation of such an association, what practical steps
should individuals and public health departments take?
-Do the findings from an epidemiologic study merit panic or measured
response?
-How applicable are the findings to settings other than the one in which
the research was conducted?
,⩥ Epidemiological Approach. Answer: -Observation
-Definition of disease process
-Descriptive epidemiology
-Analytical Epidemiology
-Experimental Epidemiology
⩥ Surveillance. Answer: Ongoing and systematic collection, analysis
and interpretation of health related data
-Assess public health status, define public health problems, evaluate
programs, stimulate research
⩥ Primary prevention. Answer: prevention or cessation of risk factor
exposure (active or passive)
⩥ Secondary prevention. Answer: intent to reduce progress of disease,
screenings for "high risk" subjects - detection. Involves people who
already have a disease.
⩥ Tertiary prevention. Answer: reduces limitation of disability from
disease.
, ⩥ Population-based approach/public health approach:. Answer: -Applied
to whole population, dietary modification, must be inexpensive and non-
invasive
⩥ High-risk approach (clinically based):. Answer: -Expensive or
invasive (ie. colonscopy for those with family history, cholesterol
screening for children from high risk families)
⩥ Hippocrates. Answer: 400 BC - Found that disease is associated with
physical environment
⩥ Francis Bacon. Answer: Inductive logic, Law of Mortality --> law of
epidemics.
⩥ Royal Society of London. Answer: 1662 - John Graunt published a
comparative study of mortality and morbidity in human populations.
Referred to as the Columbus of Statistics. Quantified patterns of disease.
⩥ James Lind. Answer: 1747 - etiology and treatment of scurvy, use of
comparison group.
-Noticed high morbidity rate among sailors
-Noticed diet among sailors at sea hard on digestion
-Conducted experimental trial using comparison group
BUNDLE 2026 TEST PAPER QUESTIONS
AND SOLUTIONS
⩥ Objectives of Epidemiology. Answer: 1. To identify the etiology
(cause) of a disease and the risk factors associated with the disease.
2. To determine the extent of disease found in the community. What is
the burden of disease?
3. To study the natural history and prognosis of the disease
4. To evaluate both existing and new preventative and therapeutic
measures and modes of health care delivery
5. To provide the foundation for developing public policy and regulatory
decisions relating to epidemiologic problems
⩥ Issues in Epidemiology. Answer: -Where there is a link between factor
and health outcome - does this mean the factor is the cause of disease?
-Is there is an association, does the amount of disease vary according to
the amount of exposure to the factor?
-Based on the observation of such an association, what practical steps
should individuals and public health departments take?
-Do the findings from an epidemiologic study merit panic or measured
response?
-How applicable are the findings to settings other than the one in which
the research was conducted?
,⩥ Epidemiological Approach. Answer: -Observation
-Definition of disease process
-Descriptive epidemiology
-Analytical Epidemiology
-Experimental Epidemiology
⩥ Surveillance. Answer: Ongoing and systematic collection, analysis
and interpretation of health related data
-Assess public health status, define public health problems, evaluate
programs, stimulate research
⩥ Primary prevention. Answer: prevention or cessation of risk factor
exposure (active or passive)
⩥ Secondary prevention. Answer: intent to reduce progress of disease,
screenings for "high risk" subjects - detection. Involves people who
already have a disease.
⩥ Tertiary prevention. Answer: reduces limitation of disability from
disease.
, ⩥ Population-based approach/public health approach:. Answer: -Applied
to whole population, dietary modification, must be inexpensive and non-
invasive
⩥ High-risk approach (clinically based):. Answer: -Expensive or
invasive (ie. colonscopy for those with family history, cholesterol
screening for children from high risk families)
⩥ Hippocrates. Answer: 400 BC - Found that disease is associated with
physical environment
⩥ Francis Bacon. Answer: Inductive logic, Law of Mortality --> law of
epidemics.
⩥ Royal Society of London. Answer: 1662 - John Graunt published a
comparative study of mortality and morbidity in human populations.
Referred to as the Columbus of Statistics. Quantified patterns of disease.
⩥ James Lind. Answer: 1747 - etiology and treatment of scurvy, use of
comparison group.
-Noticed high morbidity rate among sailors
-Noticed diet among sailors at sea hard on digestion
-Conducted experimental trial using comparison group
