HEALTH ASSESSMENT EXAM 1 PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS
1. A 50-year-old body builder is upset by a letter of denial from his life insurance company.
He is very lean but has gained 2 pounds over the past 6 months. You personally performed his health
assessment and found no problems whatsoever. He says he is classified as "high risk" because of obesity. What
should you do next?
A. Explain that even small amounts of weight gain can classify you as obese.
B. Advise him to increase his aerobic exercise for calorie burning.
C. Measure his waist.
D. Place him on a high-protein, low-fat diet. - ansC
1. A 67-year-old retired janitor comes to the clinic with his wife. She brought him in because she is concerned
about his weight loss. He has a history of smoking 3 packs of cigarettes a day for 30 years, for a total of 90 pack-
years. He has noticed a daily cough for the past several years, which he states is productive of sputum. He
came into the clinic approximately 1 year ago, and at that time his weight was 140 pounds. Today, his weight is
110 pounds.
Which one of the following questions would be the most important to ask if you suspect that he has lung
cancer?
A. Have you tried to force yourself to vomit after eating a meal?
B. Do you have enough food to eat?
C. Do you have heartburn/indigestion and diarrhea?
D. Have you tried to lose weight? - ansD
1. Common or concerning symptoms to inquire about in the General Survey and vital signs include all of the
following except:
A. Fever and chills
B. Cough
C. Changes in weight
D. Fatigue and weakness - ansB
1. Jenny is one of your favorite patients who usually shares a joke with you and is nattily dressed. Today she is
, dressed in old jeans, lacks makeup, and avoids eye contact. To what do you attribute these changes?
A. She is running into financial difficulty.
B. She is lacking sleep.
C. She is fatigued from work.
D. She is depressed. - ansD
1. Mr. Mosley has shortness of breath that has persisted for the past 10 days; it is worse with activity and
relieved by rest. What type of data is this? - ansSubjective
1. Mrs. Brody has brought his 16-year-old daughter, Mandy, for a school sports physical exam. Mandy's height
is 65 inches, and she weighs 126 lbs. Mrs. Brody is concerned that her daughter is overweight. According to
Mandy's BMI, what is your response?
A. Mandy is overweight and needs to take diet pills.
B. Reassure the mother that this is a normal body weight.
C. Refer the patient to a nutritionist and psychologist because the patient is anorexic.
D. Give the patient information about exercise and reduction of fat cholesterol in her diet because she is
overweight. - ansB - (126 X 700) / (65^2) = 20.9
Body Mass Index (BMI) = (Weight (lbs) x 700)/(height (inches)^2)
- Underweight: BMI < 18.5
- Normal: BMI 18.5-24.9
- Overweight: BMI 25.0-29.9
- Obesity I: BMI 30.0-34.9
- Obesity II: BMI 35.0-39.9
- Extreme Obesity III: BMI ≥ 40
1. When you enter the patient's examination room, his wife is waiting there with him. Which of the following is
most appropriate?
1. A 50-year-old body builder is upset by a letter of denial from his life insurance company.
He is very lean but has gained 2 pounds over the past 6 months. You personally performed his health
assessment and found no problems whatsoever. He says he is classified as "high risk" because of obesity. What
should you do next?
A. Explain that even small amounts of weight gain can classify you as obese.
B. Advise him to increase his aerobic exercise for calorie burning.
C. Measure his waist.
D. Place him on a high-protein, low-fat diet. - ansC
1. A 67-year-old retired janitor comes to the clinic with his wife. She brought him in because she is concerned
about his weight loss. He has a history of smoking 3 packs of cigarettes a day for 30 years, for a total of 90 pack-
years. He has noticed a daily cough for the past several years, which he states is productive of sputum. He
came into the clinic approximately 1 year ago, and at that time his weight was 140 pounds. Today, his weight is
110 pounds.
Which one of the following questions would be the most important to ask if you suspect that he has lung
cancer?
A. Have you tried to force yourself to vomit after eating a meal?
B. Do you have enough food to eat?
C. Do you have heartburn/indigestion and diarrhea?
D. Have you tried to lose weight? - ansD
1. Common or concerning symptoms to inquire about in the General Survey and vital signs include all of the
following except:
A. Fever and chills
B. Cough
C. Changes in weight
D. Fatigue and weakness - ansB
1. Jenny is one of your favorite patients who usually shares a joke with you and is nattily dressed. Today she is
, dressed in old jeans, lacks makeup, and avoids eye contact. To what do you attribute these changes?
A. She is running into financial difficulty.
B. She is lacking sleep.
C. She is fatigued from work.
D. She is depressed. - ansD
1. Mr. Mosley has shortness of breath that has persisted for the past 10 days; it is worse with activity and
relieved by rest. What type of data is this? - ansSubjective
1. Mrs. Brody has brought his 16-year-old daughter, Mandy, for a school sports physical exam. Mandy's height
is 65 inches, and she weighs 126 lbs. Mrs. Brody is concerned that her daughter is overweight. According to
Mandy's BMI, what is your response?
A. Mandy is overweight and needs to take diet pills.
B. Reassure the mother that this is a normal body weight.
C. Refer the patient to a nutritionist and psychologist because the patient is anorexic.
D. Give the patient information about exercise and reduction of fat cholesterol in her diet because she is
overweight. - ansB - (126 X 700) / (65^2) = 20.9
Body Mass Index (BMI) = (Weight (lbs) x 700)/(height (inches)^2)
- Underweight: BMI < 18.5
- Normal: BMI 18.5-24.9
- Overweight: BMI 25.0-29.9
- Obesity I: BMI 30.0-34.9
- Obesity II: BMI 35.0-39.9
- Extreme Obesity III: BMI ≥ 40
1. When you enter the patient's examination room, his wife is waiting there with him. Which of the following is
most appropriate?
