CPH Exam - All Sample Questions
A - ANS-A community has high rates of HIV infection among injection drug users (IDUs). The
community council decides to legalize needle exchange programs in an effort to provide clean
syringes to prevent the sharing of contaminated needles in drug-using networks. This type of
program is an example of:
(A) Harm reductions
(B) Policy advocacy
(C) Community organization
(D) Behavior change
A - ANS-A short narrative or statement that describes the general focus and purpose of a
program is called:
(A) A mission statement
(B) A long-term program goal
(C) A long-range program plan
(D) A program objective
A - ANS-According to a Stock and Flow diagram, expanded intervention focused on "Tertiary
prevention" is likely to have the following unintended consequence:
(A) "Afflicted with Complications" will increase
(B) Mortality will be delayed or reduced
(C) "Safer Healthier People" will decrease
(D) "Afflicted without Complications" will increase
A - ANS-According to John Wennberg and colleagues, small area variations in Medicare
expenditures across geographic areas are primarily attributable to differences in:
(A) Physician practice styles
(B) Consumer preferences for high-cost services
(C) Age of the population served
(D) Health status of the population served
A - ANS-An example of backward vertical integration by an academic medical center is:
(A) Offering a managed care health plan
(B) Establishing a skilled nursing unit within the hospital
(C) Acquiring an established home health agency
(D) Taking over a smaller, faith-based health care system
A - ANS-An illustration of the result of a negative (or balancing or stabilizing) feedback loop in
public health can be found in:
(A) A legislative mandate for infant and child inoculations
(B) Rising health care costs
(C) Increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens
,(D) The growth of available medical technology
A - ANS-Comparison of mortality rates due to cancer of the uterus in users and non-users of
supplemental estrogen revealed the following mortality rates per 100,000:
Age Users of Estrogen Non-Users of Estrogen
45-54 3.0 1.0
55-70 17.0 6.0
A valid conclusion derived from the above data concerning mortality among estrogen users is:
(A) The mortality rates for cancer of the uterus are higher in estrogen users than non-users in
both age groups studied
(B) A causal relationship is demonstrated between the use of estrogen and incidence of uterine
cancer
(C) Mortality from cancer of the uterus rises with age regardless of whether estrogen is used
(D) The mortality rate is lower in non-users than users because the symptoms of uterine cancer
are detected earlier in the former group of women
A - ANS-Determining whether or not a program met the stated goals and objectives is an
example of which of the following?
(A) Outcome evaluation
(B) Formative evaluation
(C) Process evaluation
(D) Evaluation report
A - ANS-Epidemiologic studies have shown a positive association between the concentration of
particulate matter (PM) in ambient air and:
(A) An increased incidence of respiratory-related morbidity and mortality
(B) The destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer
(C) Effects on global climate change, specifically increased Global Warming
(D) Declines in bird populations due to thinning of their egg shells
A - ANS-Executive Order 12898, entitled "Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in
Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations," is an example of which policy-making
model?
(A) Policy Action Change and Monitoring (PACM) model
(B) Exposure-response relationship model
(C) Integrated assessment model
(D) NIMBY model
A - ANS-Exposure assessment attempts to answer all of the following questions except:
(A) Toxicity of the exposure
(B) Frequency and duration of exposure
(C) Population exposed
(D) Route of exposure
,A - ANS-Franklin's Grove is the county seat of Franklin County, a small rural county in the
Southeast. On the basis of its demographic and economic profile, it was selected as a health
improvement zone to receive Federal funds to implement programs to improve progress toward
reaching the national health objectives. Communities receiving such funds are charged with
identifying the most significant gaps between the current health status and national health
objectives and with putting programs in place to narrow such gaps.
What is the first step to take to address the goals of the funding?
(A) Consult Healthy People 2010 to identify relevant objectives
(B) Convene a group of community leaders to decide how to spend the funds
(C) Convene a group of community citizens to decide how to spend the funds
(D) Consult an expert in community health to draw up a program plan
A - ANS-How many bases make up a codon?
(A) 3
(B) 4
(C) 20
(D) 64
A - ANS-How many pairs of autosomes do humans have?
(A) 22
(B) 23
(C) 44
(D) 46
A - ANS-If a threshold dose exists for an environmental agent:
(A) There is a dose level below which the agent does not produce health effects
(B) Any dose of the agent, no matter how small, carries some risk of adverse health effects
(C) It is impossible to establish a no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for that agent
(D) The average level of exposure to the agent by the general population is assumed to be safe
A - ANS-If two copies of a mutant allele are necessary to cause symptoms of a disease to
appear in the phenotype, what type of genetic disease is this?
(A) Recessive
(B) Sex-linked
(C) Autosomal
(D) Dominant
A - ANS-Leadership trait and skill theories:
(A) Point to the right stuff for a leader to possess to be effective
(B) Have not changed over time
(C) Are not relevant to public health leaders
(D) Prove leadership cannot be learned or developed
A - ANS-Mortality rates by sex in the United States generally show the following sex differences:
, (A) Males greater than females
(B) Females greater than males
(C) Males equal to females
(D) Males equal to females in the first years of life
A - ANS-Municipal sewage is typically processed to remove organic material before disposing of
the treated water. In large cities this treatment will generally consist of:
(A) Biological treatment in an aerated activated sludge system, followed by settling to remove
sludge solids, then chlorination prior to discharge.
(B) Chemical treatment by coagulation and flocculation, followed by settling to remove solids,
then chlorination prior to discharge.
(C) Filtering through sand beds to remove organic solids, followed by chlorination prior to
discharge.
(D) Super-chlorination to destroy organic materials, followed by discharge.
A - ANS-Mutations in the _______________ gene lead to an increased risk for developing
breast or ovarian cancer.
(A) BRCA2
(B) PPARG
(C) APC
(D) hMSH1
A - ANS-New vaccines for influenza must be developed every year because:
(A) Mutations result in new strains of the virus that are not affected by existing vaccines.
(B) The virus produces enzymes that break down existing vaccines
(C) The human body produces enzymes that break down existing vaccines
(D) The human body produces antibodies that inactivate the vaccine
A - ANS-Nitrates in ground water are of particular concern in rural communities that rely on well
water because:
(A) Nitrates can cause Blue-Baby Syndrome in infants
(B) Nitrates are potent carcinogens in adults
(C) The well water will be undrinkable due to taste, odor, and color problems
(D) The well water will form nitric acid and become corrosive to metal pipes in the water system
A - ANS-River water pollution due to storm water runoff from chemically fertilized farm fields is
an example of:
(A) Area source pollution
(B) Point source pollution
(C) Accidental and unforeseeable pollution
(D) Unpreventable and inconsequential pollution
A - ANS-Systems thinking, while conceptually challenging, is one of the most valuable skills a
manager can bring to resolving organizational problems because:
A - ANS-A community has high rates of HIV infection among injection drug users (IDUs). The
community council decides to legalize needle exchange programs in an effort to provide clean
syringes to prevent the sharing of contaminated needles in drug-using networks. This type of
program is an example of:
(A) Harm reductions
(B) Policy advocacy
(C) Community organization
(D) Behavior change
A - ANS-A short narrative or statement that describes the general focus and purpose of a
program is called:
(A) A mission statement
(B) A long-term program goal
(C) A long-range program plan
(D) A program objective
A - ANS-According to a Stock and Flow diagram, expanded intervention focused on "Tertiary
prevention" is likely to have the following unintended consequence:
(A) "Afflicted with Complications" will increase
(B) Mortality will be delayed or reduced
(C) "Safer Healthier People" will decrease
(D) "Afflicted without Complications" will increase
A - ANS-According to John Wennberg and colleagues, small area variations in Medicare
expenditures across geographic areas are primarily attributable to differences in:
(A) Physician practice styles
(B) Consumer preferences for high-cost services
(C) Age of the population served
(D) Health status of the population served
A - ANS-An example of backward vertical integration by an academic medical center is:
(A) Offering a managed care health plan
(B) Establishing a skilled nursing unit within the hospital
(C) Acquiring an established home health agency
(D) Taking over a smaller, faith-based health care system
A - ANS-An illustration of the result of a negative (or balancing or stabilizing) feedback loop in
public health can be found in:
(A) A legislative mandate for infant and child inoculations
(B) Rising health care costs
(C) Increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens
,(D) The growth of available medical technology
A - ANS-Comparison of mortality rates due to cancer of the uterus in users and non-users of
supplemental estrogen revealed the following mortality rates per 100,000:
Age Users of Estrogen Non-Users of Estrogen
45-54 3.0 1.0
55-70 17.0 6.0
A valid conclusion derived from the above data concerning mortality among estrogen users is:
(A) The mortality rates for cancer of the uterus are higher in estrogen users than non-users in
both age groups studied
(B) A causal relationship is demonstrated between the use of estrogen and incidence of uterine
cancer
(C) Mortality from cancer of the uterus rises with age regardless of whether estrogen is used
(D) The mortality rate is lower in non-users than users because the symptoms of uterine cancer
are detected earlier in the former group of women
A - ANS-Determining whether or not a program met the stated goals and objectives is an
example of which of the following?
(A) Outcome evaluation
(B) Formative evaluation
(C) Process evaluation
(D) Evaluation report
A - ANS-Epidemiologic studies have shown a positive association between the concentration of
particulate matter (PM) in ambient air and:
(A) An increased incidence of respiratory-related morbidity and mortality
(B) The destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer
(C) Effects on global climate change, specifically increased Global Warming
(D) Declines in bird populations due to thinning of their egg shells
A - ANS-Executive Order 12898, entitled "Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in
Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations," is an example of which policy-making
model?
(A) Policy Action Change and Monitoring (PACM) model
(B) Exposure-response relationship model
(C) Integrated assessment model
(D) NIMBY model
A - ANS-Exposure assessment attempts to answer all of the following questions except:
(A) Toxicity of the exposure
(B) Frequency and duration of exposure
(C) Population exposed
(D) Route of exposure
,A - ANS-Franklin's Grove is the county seat of Franklin County, a small rural county in the
Southeast. On the basis of its demographic and economic profile, it was selected as a health
improvement zone to receive Federal funds to implement programs to improve progress toward
reaching the national health objectives. Communities receiving such funds are charged with
identifying the most significant gaps between the current health status and national health
objectives and with putting programs in place to narrow such gaps.
What is the first step to take to address the goals of the funding?
(A) Consult Healthy People 2010 to identify relevant objectives
(B) Convene a group of community leaders to decide how to spend the funds
(C) Convene a group of community citizens to decide how to spend the funds
(D) Consult an expert in community health to draw up a program plan
A - ANS-How many bases make up a codon?
(A) 3
(B) 4
(C) 20
(D) 64
A - ANS-How many pairs of autosomes do humans have?
(A) 22
(B) 23
(C) 44
(D) 46
A - ANS-If a threshold dose exists for an environmental agent:
(A) There is a dose level below which the agent does not produce health effects
(B) Any dose of the agent, no matter how small, carries some risk of adverse health effects
(C) It is impossible to establish a no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) for that agent
(D) The average level of exposure to the agent by the general population is assumed to be safe
A - ANS-If two copies of a mutant allele are necessary to cause symptoms of a disease to
appear in the phenotype, what type of genetic disease is this?
(A) Recessive
(B) Sex-linked
(C) Autosomal
(D) Dominant
A - ANS-Leadership trait and skill theories:
(A) Point to the right stuff for a leader to possess to be effective
(B) Have not changed over time
(C) Are not relevant to public health leaders
(D) Prove leadership cannot be learned or developed
A - ANS-Mortality rates by sex in the United States generally show the following sex differences:
, (A) Males greater than females
(B) Females greater than males
(C) Males equal to females
(D) Males equal to females in the first years of life
A - ANS-Municipal sewage is typically processed to remove organic material before disposing of
the treated water. In large cities this treatment will generally consist of:
(A) Biological treatment in an aerated activated sludge system, followed by settling to remove
sludge solids, then chlorination prior to discharge.
(B) Chemical treatment by coagulation and flocculation, followed by settling to remove solids,
then chlorination prior to discharge.
(C) Filtering through sand beds to remove organic solids, followed by chlorination prior to
discharge.
(D) Super-chlorination to destroy organic materials, followed by discharge.
A - ANS-Mutations in the _______________ gene lead to an increased risk for developing
breast or ovarian cancer.
(A) BRCA2
(B) PPARG
(C) APC
(D) hMSH1
A - ANS-New vaccines for influenza must be developed every year because:
(A) Mutations result in new strains of the virus that are not affected by existing vaccines.
(B) The virus produces enzymes that break down existing vaccines
(C) The human body produces enzymes that break down existing vaccines
(D) The human body produces antibodies that inactivate the vaccine
A - ANS-Nitrates in ground water are of particular concern in rural communities that rely on well
water because:
(A) Nitrates can cause Blue-Baby Syndrome in infants
(B) Nitrates are potent carcinogens in adults
(C) The well water will be undrinkable due to taste, odor, and color problems
(D) The well water will form nitric acid and become corrosive to metal pipes in the water system
A - ANS-River water pollution due to storm water runoff from chemically fertilized farm fields is
an example of:
(A) Area source pollution
(B) Point source pollution
(C) Accidental and unforeseeable pollution
(D) Unpreventable and inconsequential pollution
A - ANS-Systems thinking, while conceptually challenging, is one of the most valuable skills a
manager can bring to resolving organizational problems because:
