EPIDEMIOLOGY AND BIOSTATISTICS
EXAM QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT
ANSWERS
incidence rate - ANSWER-the rate at which new cases develop in a population, relative
to the size of the population; the number of new cases per person-(time at risk)
incidence rate - ANSWER-other words for this term include hazard and incidence
density
incidence - ANSWER-a measure of new cases of disease which occur in a population at
risk during a specified period of observation
mortality - ANSWER-the incidence of death in a population during a specified period of
time
cumulative incidence - ANSWER-the most common way to evaluate risk
cumulative incidence - ANSWER-evaluating this measure of disease frequency requires
a closed population
case fatality - ANSWER-the proportion of persons with a particular disease who die
proportionate mortality - ANSWER-the proportion of all deaths due to a particular
disease
case-control study - ANSWER-a study type designed to address problems of diseases
with long latency periods
case-control study - ANSWER-The basic design of this type of study is:
1. Assemble a group of individuals with a particular disease along with a comparable
group of subjects free of the disease.
2. Obtain information about previous medical history and health habits concerning the
risk factor(s) of interest.
3. Estimate the odds ratio for the association between exposure to the risk factor and
development of the disease
case-control study - ANSWER-the study type that is most prone to bias and
confounding
cohort study - ANSWER-a study type designed to obtain accurate exposure history
before (often many years before) the outcome event or the disease has occurred.
, cohort study - ANSWER-The basic design of this study type is:
1. Assemble a group of individuals who are free of the disease of interest.
2. Classify each individual with respect to exposure status.
3. Follow and determine the development of disease.
4. Calculate the relative risk for the association between exposure to the risk factor and
development of the disease.
randomized control trial (RCT) - ANSWER-this study type is considered the "Gold
Standard" or "Cadillac" of all study types
randomized control trial (RCT) - ANSWER-this study type allows investigators the best
opportunity to directly measure the effect of exposures or treatments on the disease or
outcome of interest
randomized control trial (RCT) - ANSWER-The basic design of this study type is:
1. Select individuals with disease of interest.
2. Randomly assign each individual to an intervention or treatment.
3. Follow and observe the outcome of treatment.
4. Calculate the relative risk for the association between the assigned treatment and the
observed outcome.
clinical epidemiology - ANSWER-the study of variation in the outcome of disease and of
the reasons for that variation
association - ANSWER-the statistical dependence between two variables, i.e., the
degree to which the rate of disease among persons with a specific exposure either is
higher or lower than the rate of disease among persons without the exposure
association - ANSWER-if this is present, it implies that two characteristics occur in one
individual more often than expected by chance alone
cause - ANSWER-an exposure which initiates or permits, alone or in combination with
other causes, a particular effect
causation - ANSWER-an association in which the change in frequency or quality of an
exposure or characteristic results in a corresponding change in the frequency of disease
or outcome of interest.
causation - ANSWER-this can never be proven; it must be inferred using all the
available evidence
chance, bias, and confounding - ANSWER-alternative explanations to an observed
association
EXAM QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT
ANSWERS
incidence rate - ANSWER-the rate at which new cases develop in a population, relative
to the size of the population; the number of new cases per person-(time at risk)
incidence rate - ANSWER-other words for this term include hazard and incidence
density
incidence - ANSWER-a measure of new cases of disease which occur in a population at
risk during a specified period of observation
mortality - ANSWER-the incidence of death in a population during a specified period of
time
cumulative incidence - ANSWER-the most common way to evaluate risk
cumulative incidence - ANSWER-evaluating this measure of disease frequency requires
a closed population
case fatality - ANSWER-the proportion of persons with a particular disease who die
proportionate mortality - ANSWER-the proportion of all deaths due to a particular
disease
case-control study - ANSWER-a study type designed to address problems of diseases
with long latency periods
case-control study - ANSWER-The basic design of this type of study is:
1. Assemble a group of individuals with a particular disease along with a comparable
group of subjects free of the disease.
2. Obtain information about previous medical history and health habits concerning the
risk factor(s) of interest.
3. Estimate the odds ratio for the association between exposure to the risk factor and
development of the disease
case-control study - ANSWER-the study type that is most prone to bias and
confounding
cohort study - ANSWER-a study type designed to obtain accurate exposure history
before (often many years before) the outcome event or the disease has occurred.
, cohort study - ANSWER-The basic design of this study type is:
1. Assemble a group of individuals who are free of the disease of interest.
2. Classify each individual with respect to exposure status.
3. Follow and determine the development of disease.
4. Calculate the relative risk for the association between exposure to the risk factor and
development of the disease.
randomized control trial (RCT) - ANSWER-this study type is considered the "Gold
Standard" or "Cadillac" of all study types
randomized control trial (RCT) - ANSWER-this study type allows investigators the best
opportunity to directly measure the effect of exposures or treatments on the disease or
outcome of interest
randomized control trial (RCT) - ANSWER-The basic design of this study type is:
1. Select individuals with disease of interest.
2. Randomly assign each individual to an intervention or treatment.
3. Follow and observe the outcome of treatment.
4. Calculate the relative risk for the association between the assigned treatment and the
observed outcome.
clinical epidemiology - ANSWER-the study of variation in the outcome of disease and of
the reasons for that variation
association - ANSWER-the statistical dependence between two variables, i.e., the
degree to which the rate of disease among persons with a specific exposure either is
higher or lower than the rate of disease among persons without the exposure
association - ANSWER-if this is present, it implies that two characteristics occur in one
individual more often than expected by chance alone
cause - ANSWER-an exposure which initiates or permits, alone or in combination with
other causes, a particular effect
causation - ANSWER-an association in which the change in frequency or quality of an
exposure or characteristic results in a corresponding change in the frequency of disease
or outcome of interest.
causation - ANSWER-this can never be proven; it must be inferred using all the
available evidence
chance, bias, and confounding - ANSWER-alternative explanations to an observed
association
