Fall Semester 2026–2027 MPH – Master of Public Health
Updated 2026 | 190+ Questions and Answers | Master of
Public Health (MPH) Comprehensive Study Guide, Practice
Exam, Exam Prep Test Bank, Epidemiology, Biostatistics,
Environmental Health, Global Health, Health Policy &
Management, Social & Behavioral Sciences, Program
Planning, Community Health, Health Promotion, Detailed
Rationales and Complete Revision Material
Question 1: In the context of epidemiological study designs, which of the
following is the most significant advantage of a prospective cohort study over
a retrospective cohort study?
A. Lower cost and faster completion time
B. Reduced loss to follow-up rates
C. More accurate and complete exposure data collection
D. Better suitability for rare diseases
CORRECT ANSWER: C. More accurate and complete exposure data collection
Rationale: Prospective cohort studies collect exposure data at baseline and during
follow-up, before the outcome occurs. This minimizes recall bias and allows for
standardized, objective measurements, leading to more accurate exposure classification
compared to retrospective designs which rely on existing records.
Question 2: A community health program aims to reduce salt intake. Which
level of the Social Ecological Model is being targeted when they work with
local grocery stores to stock low-sodium products?
A. Intrapersonal level
B. Interpersonal level
C. Organizational level
D. Community level
CORRECT ANSWER: C. Organizational level
Rationale: The Social Ecological Model includes the organizational level, which
encompasses the rules, regulations, and policies of formal organizations. Working with
grocery stores to change their product offerings is an intervention at this level.
Question 3: Which of the following statistical tests is most appropriate for
comparing the mean blood pressure levels between three independent groups
with normally distributed data?
A. Chi-square test
B. Paired t-test
C. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)
D. Mann-Whitney U test
CORRECT ANSWER: C. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)
,Rationale: ANOVA is used to compare the means of three or more independent groups
when the data is continuous and normally distributed, assuming homogeneity of
variances.
Question 4: According to the PRECEDE-PROCEED model, which phase involves
the identification of health problems and quality of life issues within a
population?
A. Phase 1: Social Assessment
B. Phase 2: Epidemiological Assessment
C. Phase 3: Educational and Ecological Assessment
D. Phase 4: Administrative and Policy Assessment
CORRECT ANSWER: A. Phase 1: Social Assessment
Rationale: The first phase of the PRECEDE-PROCEED model is the Social Assessment,
which aims to identify and prioritize the social problems and quality of life concerns of
the target population.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of an Institutional Review Board
(IRB) in public health research?
A. To secure funding for research projects
B. To ensure the scientific validity of the study design
C. To protect the rights and welfare of human subjects
D. To publish research findings in academic journals
CORRECT ANSWER: C. To protect the rights and welfare of human subjects
Rationale: The primary role of an IRB is to review research protocols to ensure that the
rights, welfare, and privacy of human participants are protected, and that risks are
minimized and justified by potential benefits.
Question 6: The 'years of potential life lost' (YPLL) is a measure that
emphasizes:
A. The overall economic cost of a disease
B. Mortality occurring at younger ages
C. The prevalence of chronic illness
D. The quality of life of surviving patients
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Mortality occurring at younger ages
Rationale: YPLL is a measure of premature mortality. It is calculated by subtracting the
age of death from a predetermined age limit (e.g., 75 years), giving more weight to
deaths that occur at younger ages.
Question 7: A screening test has high sensitivity but low specificity. This
means the test will likely result in:
,A. Many false negatives
B. Many false positives
C. A low positive predictive value in a low-prevalence population
D. Both B and C are correct
CORRECT ANSWER: D. Both B and C are correct
Rationale: High sensitivity means few false negatives. However, low specificity means
many false positives. In a low-prevalence population, a high number of false positives
will significantly lower the positive predictive value (PPV) of the test.
Question 8: Which of the following best describes the concept of 'herd
immunity'?
A. The immunity an individual acquires from vaccination
B. The indirect protection of unvaccinated individuals when a high proportion of the
population is immune
C. The natural immunity acquired after recovering from an infection
D. The immunity passed from mother to child during pregnancy
CORRECT ANSWER: B. The indirect protection of unvaccinated individuals
when a high proportion of the population is immune
Rationale: Herd immunity occurs when a large percentage of the population is immune
to a disease, making its spread unlikely and thereby protecting individuals who are not
immune.
Question 9: In the context of global health, what is a primary function of the
International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005?
A. To standardize medical education across countries
B. To provide funding for health infrastructure in developing nations
C. To prevent the international spread of diseases
D. To regulate the prices of essential medicines
CORRECT ANSWER: C. To prevent the international spread of diseases
Rationale: The IHR (2005) is a legally binding agreement between 196 countries to build
global capacity for the detection, assessment, and response to public health
emergencies of international concern, with the main goal of preventing the international
spread of diseases.
Question 10: Which type of study design is considered the gold standard for
establishing causality in epidemiology?
A. Cohort study
B. Case-control study
C. Randomized controlled trial (RCT)
D. Cross-sectional study
CORRECT ANSWER: C. Randomized controlled trial (RCT)
, Rationale: The RCT is considered the gold standard because randomization minimizes
confounding and selection bias, providing the strongest evidence for a cause-and-effect
relationship by controlling for both known and unknown confounders.
Question 11: A public health nurse is conducting a community needs
assessment. Which of the following is a key component of this process?
A. Developing a new pharmaceutical drug
B. Analyzing existing health data and collecting new data from the community
C. Creating a national health policy
D. Performing laboratory tests on community members
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Analyzing existing health data and collecting new data
from the community
Rationale: A community needs assessment involves systematically collecting and
analyzing both primary and secondary data to understand the health status, resources,
and needs of a specific population to inform planning and intervention.
Question 12: What is the main characteristic of a 'pandemic'?
A. A disease that is constantly present in a specific population
B. A sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease in a community
C. An epidemic that has spread over several countries or continents
D. A disease that is transmitted from animals to humans
CORRECT ANSWER: C. An epidemic that has spread over several countries or
continents
Rationale: An epidemic is a widespread occurrence of a disease in a community at a
particular time. A pandemic is an epidemic that has spread across a large region, often
globally, affecting multiple continents.
Question 13: Which of the following is a measure of association commonly
used in case-control studies?
A. Relative Risk (RR)
B. Odds Ratio (OR)
C. Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR)
D. Attributable Risk (AR)
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Odds Ratio (OR)
Rationale: The odds ratio is the measure of association used in case-control studies to
estimate the magnitude of the association between an exposure and an outcome, as the
incidence of the disease cannot be directly calculated.
Question 14: In health behavior theory, the 'Stages of Change' model
(Transtheoretical Model) suggests that behavior change is:
Updated 2026 | 190+ Questions and Answers | Master of
Public Health (MPH) Comprehensive Study Guide, Practice
Exam, Exam Prep Test Bank, Epidemiology, Biostatistics,
Environmental Health, Global Health, Health Policy &
Management, Social & Behavioral Sciences, Program
Planning, Community Health, Health Promotion, Detailed
Rationales and Complete Revision Material
Question 1: In the context of epidemiological study designs, which of the
following is the most significant advantage of a prospective cohort study over
a retrospective cohort study?
A. Lower cost and faster completion time
B. Reduced loss to follow-up rates
C. More accurate and complete exposure data collection
D. Better suitability for rare diseases
CORRECT ANSWER: C. More accurate and complete exposure data collection
Rationale: Prospective cohort studies collect exposure data at baseline and during
follow-up, before the outcome occurs. This minimizes recall bias and allows for
standardized, objective measurements, leading to more accurate exposure classification
compared to retrospective designs which rely on existing records.
Question 2: A community health program aims to reduce salt intake. Which
level of the Social Ecological Model is being targeted when they work with
local grocery stores to stock low-sodium products?
A. Intrapersonal level
B. Interpersonal level
C. Organizational level
D. Community level
CORRECT ANSWER: C. Organizational level
Rationale: The Social Ecological Model includes the organizational level, which
encompasses the rules, regulations, and policies of formal organizations. Working with
grocery stores to change their product offerings is an intervention at this level.
Question 3: Which of the following statistical tests is most appropriate for
comparing the mean blood pressure levels between three independent groups
with normally distributed data?
A. Chi-square test
B. Paired t-test
C. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)
D. Mann-Whitney U test
CORRECT ANSWER: C. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)
,Rationale: ANOVA is used to compare the means of three or more independent groups
when the data is continuous and normally distributed, assuming homogeneity of
variances.
Question 4: According to the PRECEDE-PROCEED model, which phase involves
the identification of health problems and quality of life issues within a
population?
A. Phase 1: Social Assessment
B. Phase 2: Epidemiological Assessment
C. Phase 3: Educational and Ecological Assessment
D. Phase 4: Administrative and Policy Assessment
CORRECT ANSWER: A. Phase 1: Social Assessment
Rationale: The first phase of the PRECEDE-PROCEED model is the Social Assessment,
which aims to identify and prioritize the social problems and quality of life concerns of
the target population.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of an Institutional Review Board
(IRB) in public health research?
A. To secure funding for research projects
B. To ensure the scientific validity of the study design
C. To protect the rights and welfare of human subjects
D. To publish research findings in academic journals
CORRECT ANSWER: C. To protect the rights and welfare of human subjects
Rationale: The primary role of an IRB is to review research protocols to ensure that the
rights, welfare, and privacy of human participants are protected, and that risks are
minimized and justified by potential benefits.
Question 6: The 'years of potential life lost' (YPLL) is a measure that
emphasizes:
A. The overall economic cost of a disease
B. Mortality occurring at younger ages
C. The prevalence of chronic illness
D. The quality of life of surviving patients
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Mortality occurring at younger ages
Rationale: YPLL is a measure of premature mortality. It is calculated by subtracting the
age of death from a predetermined age limit (e.g., 75 years), giving more weight to
deaths that occur at younger ages.
Question 7: A screening test has high sensitivity but low specificity. This
means the test will likely result in:
,A. Many false negatives
B. Many false positives
C. A low positive predictive value in a low-prevalence population
D. Both B and C are correct
CORRECT ANSWER: D. Both B and C are correct
Rationale: High sensitivity means few false negatives. However, low specificity means
many false positives. In a low-prevalence population, a high number of false positives
will significantly lower the positive predictive value (PPV) of the test.
Question 8: Which of the following best describes the concept of 'herd
immunity'?
A. The immunity an individual acquires from vaccination
B. The indirect protection of unvaccinated individuals when a high proportion of the
population is immune
C. The natural immunity acquired after recovering from an infection
D. The immunity passed from mother to child during pregnancy
CORRECT ANSWER: B. The indirect protection of unvaccinated individuals
when a high proportion of the population is immune
Rationale: Herd immunity occurs when a large percentage of the population is immune
to a disease, making its spread unlikely and thereby protecting individuals who are not
immune.
Question 9: In the context of global health, what is a primary function of the
International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005?
A. To standardize medical education across countries
B. To provide funding for health infrastructure in developing nations
C. To prevent the international spread of diseases
D. To regulate the prices of essential medicines
CORRECT ANSWER: C. To prevent the international spread of diseases
Rationale: The IHR (2005) is a legally binding agreement between 196 countries to build
global capacity for the detection, assessment, and response to public health
emergencies of international concern, with the main goal of preventing the international
spread of diseases.
Question 10: Which type of study design is considered the gold standard for
establishing causality in epidemiology?
A. Cohort study
B. Case-control study
C. Randomized controlled trial (RCT)
D. Cross-sectional study
CORRECT ANSWER: C. Randomized controlled trial (RCT)
, Rationale: The RCT is considered the gold standard because randomization minimizes
confounding and selection bias, providing the strongest evidence for a cause-and-effect
relationship by controlling for both known and unknown confounders.
Question 11: A public health nurse is conducting a community needs
assessment. Which of the following is a key component of this process?
A. Developing a new pharmaceutical drug
B. Analyzing existing health data and collecting new data from the community
C. Creating a national health policy
D. Performing laboratory tests on community members
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Analyzing existing health data and collecting new data
from the community
Rationale: A community needs assessment involves systematically collecting and
analyzing both primary and secondary data to understand the health status, resources,
and needs of a specific population to inform planning and intervention.
Question 12: What is the main characteristic of a 'pandemic'?
A. A disease that is constantly present in a specific population
B. A sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease in a community
C. An epidemic that has spread over several countries or continents
D. A disease that is transmitted from animals to humans
CORRECT ANSWER: C. An epidemic that has spread over several countries or
continents
Rationale: An epidemic is a widespread occurrence of a disease in a community at a
particular time. A pandemic is an epidemic that has spread across a large region, often
globally, affecting multiple continents.
Question 13: Which of the following is a measure of association commonly
used in case-control studies?
A. Relative Risk (RR)
B. Odds Ratio (OR)
C. Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR)
D. Attributable Risk (AR)
CORRECT ANSWER: B. Odds Ratio (OR)
Rationale: The odds ratio is the measure of association used in case-control studies to
estimate the magnitude of the association between an exposure and an outcome, as the
incidence of the disease cannot be directly calculated.
Question 14: In health behavior theory, the 'Stages of Change' model
(Transtheoretical Model) suggests that behavior change is:
