ESTUDYR
INTRODUCTION TO EPIDEMIOLOGY AND
RESEARCH DESIGN IN PUBLIC HEALTH
1. Epidemiology is best defined as the study of:
A. Individual patient treatment plans.
B. Hospital administration only.
C. The distribution and determinants of health-related states/events and application
to disease control.
D. Veterinary public health exclusively.
Rationale: Epidemiology examines patterns (who, when, where), determinants, and
applies findings to prevent/control disease.
2. The epidemiologic triangle basic model includes:
A. Host, symptom, recovery.
B. Host, agent, environment.
C. Patient, provider, payer.
D. Time, place, person.
Rationale: The triangle’s three vertices are host, agent, and environment — used to
conceptualize disease causation.
3. Which three factors form the epidemiologic triangle?
A. Host, vector, pathogen.
B. Host, environment, agent.
C. Time, place, person.
D. Agent, policy, economics.
Rationale: Host (person), environment (external factors), and agent
(biologic/chemical/physical) are the triangle’s elements.
4. Which of the following is a host factor?
A. Water supply.
B. Age and immune status.
C. Air pollution.
D. Temperature.
Rationale: Host factors are characteristics of the person (age, sex, genetics, immunity).
5. Which of the following is an environmental factor?
A. Genetic profile.
B. Viral virulence.
C. Crowding and water quality.
D. Tooth morphology.
, ESTUDYR
Rationale: Environment includes external conditions like crowding, housing, water, and
pollution.
6. Which of the following is an example of an agent?
A. Occupation.
B. Altitude.
C. Chemical toxin.
D. Religion.
Rationale: Agents are biologic, chemical, physical, or nutritional causes of disease.
7. Disease production requires:
A. Only host susceptibility.
B. Only agent exposure.
C. Exposure of a susceptible host to a noxious agent plus environmental factors.
D. Vaccination.
Rationale: Disease arises when susceptible host meets agent under conducive
environmental conditions.
8. Which is NOT one of the six major tasks of epidemiology?
A. Public health surveillance.
B. Field investigation.
C. Analytic studies.
D. Performing individual surgeries.
Rationale: Epidemiology focuses on surveillance, investigations, analysis, evaluation,
linkages, and policy; surgeries are clinical care.
9. What is a primary action of an epidemiologist?
A. Prescribing medications.
B. Counting, dividing, and comparing disease events.
C. Performing clinical trials only.
D. Operating imaging equipment.
Rationale: Epidemiologists quantify events (counts), calculate rates (divide), and
compare groups or times.
10. “Counts” in epidemiology most often describe cases by:
A. Cost only.
B. Time, place, and person.
C. Lab values exclusively.
D. Provider preferences.
Rationale: Counting cases includes describing distribution by time, place, and person
characteristics.
11. “Divides” in epidemiology refers to:
A. Dividing funding.
INTRODUCTION TO EPIDEMIOLOGY AND
RESEARCH DESIGN IN PUBLIC HEALTH
1. Epidemiology is best defined as the study of:
A. Individual patient treatment plans.
B. Hospital administration only.
C. The distribution and determinants of health-related states/events and application
to disease control.
D. Veterinary public health exclusively.
Rationale: Epidemiology examines patterns (who, when, where), determinants, and
applies findings to prevent/control disease.
2. The epidemiologic triangle basic model includes:
A. Host, symptom, recovery.
B. Host, agent, environment.
C. Patient, provider, payer.
D. Time, place, person.
Rationale: The triangle’s three vertices are host, agent, and environment — used to
conceptualize disease causation.
3. Which three factors form the epidemiologic triangle?
A. Host, vector, pathogen.
B. Host, environment, agent.
C. Time, place, person.
D. Agent, policy, economics.
Rationale: Host (person), environment (external factors), and agent
(biologic/chemical/physical) are the triangle’s elements.
4. Which of the following is a host factor?
A. Water supply.
B. Age and immune status.
C. Air pollution.
D. Temperature.
Rationale: Host factors are characteristics of the person (age, sex, genetics, immunity).
5. Which of the following is an environmental factor?
A. Genetic profile.
B. Viral virulence.
C. Crowding and water quality.
D. Tooth morphology.
, ESTUDYR
Rationale: Environment includes external conditions like crowding, housing, water, and
pollution.
6. Which of the following is an example of an agent?
A. Occupation.
B. Altitude.
C. Chemical toxin.
D. Religion.
Rationale: Agents are biologic, chemical, physical, or nutritional causes of disease.
7. Disease production requires:
A. Only host susceptibility.
B. Only agent exposure.
C. Exposure of a susceptible host to a noxious agent plus environmental factors.
D. Vaccination.
Rationale: Disease arises when susceptible host meets agent under conducive
environmental conditions.
8. Which is NOT one of the six major tasks of epidemiology?
A. Public health surveillance.
B. Field investigation.
C. Analytic studies.
D. Performing individual surgeries.
Rationale: Epidemiology focuses on surveillance, investigations, analysis, evaluation,
linkages, and policy; surgeries are clinical care.
9. What is a primary action of an epidemiologist?
A. Prescribing medications.
B. Counting, dividing, and comparing disease events.
C. Performing clinical trials only.
D. Operating imaging equipment.
Rationale: Epidemiologists quantify events (counts), calculate rates (divide), and
compare groups or times.
10. “Counts” in epidemiology most often describe cases by:
A. Cost only.
B. Time, place, and person.
C. Lab values exclusively.
D. Provider preferences.
Rationale: Counting cases includes describing distribution by time, place, and person
characteristics.
11. “Divides” in epidemiology refers to:
A. Dividing funding.
