503 Population Health, Epidemiology &
Statistical Principles | Chamberlain
1. A researcher is evaluating a new diagnostic test for early detection of heart disease. The
test’s ability to correctly identify those with the disease is known as what?
A. Specificity
B. Sensitivity
C. Positive Predictive Value
D. Reliability
Answer: B
Rationale: Sensitivity refers to the proportion of people with a disease who test positive. It
is a measure of how well a test can identify actual cases. A highly sensitive test is useful for
screening because it minimizes false negatives.
2. An epidemiologist is studying the number of new cases of COVID-19 in a specific county
over the month of December. This measurement is best described as:
A. Prevalence
B. Attack Rate
C. Incidence
,D. Point Prevalence
Answer: C
Rationale: Incidence measures the number of new cases of a disease that develop in a
population during a specific time period. It provides information about the risk of
contracting the disease. In contrast, prevalence includes both new and existing cases at a
single point or over a period.
3. Which level of prevention is a nurse practitioner implementing when they order a
screening mammogram for a 50-year-old female patient?
A. Primary Prevention
B. Tertiary Prevention
C. Secondary Prevention
D. Primordial Prevention
Answer: C
Rationale: Secondary prevention focuses on early detection and screening to identify
diseases in their earliest stages. Mammograms are a classic example because they aim to
find breast cancer before symptoms appear. This allows for earlier intervention and
typically results in better clinical outcomes.
4. In a study comparing smokers to non-smokers, the risk of developing lung cancer was
found to be 15.0 for smokers. How should this Relative Risk (RR) be interpreted?
A. There is no significant association between smoking and lung cancer.
, B. Non-smokers are 15 times more likely to develop lung cancer than smokers.
C. Smokers are 15 times more likely to develop lung cancer than non-smokers.
D. 15% of smokers will develop lung cancer.
Answer: C
Rationale: A Relative Risk (RR) of 15.0 indicates that the risk of the outcome is 15 times
higher in the exposed group compared to the unexposed group. If the RR were 1.0, it would
indicate no difference in risk between the groups. Values greater than 1.0 suggest a positive
association between the exposure and the outcome.
5. A clinical trial is conducted where participants are randomly assigned to either a new
medication group or a placebo group. This study design is known as:
A. Case-Control Study
B. Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
C. Cohort Study
D. Cross-Sectional Study
Answer: B
Rationale: A Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) is considered the gold standard for
testing the efficacy of interventions. Randomization helps to ensure that any differences in
outcomes are due to the treatment rather than confounding variables. This design provides
the strongest evidence for causality in clinical research.