NAPSR Biostatistics and Epidemiology Exam
Questions And 100% Correct Answers
What does public health policy concern itself with? - ANSWER Safeguarding and
protecting the health of a community as a whole e.g. immunizations, motor vehicle
safety, workplace safety, control of infectious diseases, safer and healthier foods,
healthier mothers and babies, family planning
What concern is the epidemiologist? - ANSWER Community health
Disease - ANSWER An abnormal condition that impairs proper physiological or
psychological function
Illness - ANS Subjective state of a person aware of not being well
Sickness - ANS State of social dysfunction; a role that the individual assumes when ill
Clinical diagnosis - ANS Clinical finding associated with pathology in a large group of
people
Prognosis - ANS Observations of a large group of people with the same disease, stage,
treatment
How does epidemiology impact the choice of appropriate therapy? - ANSWER Research
into the outcomes of therapy in a large randomized clinical trial
Epidemic - ANSWER Greater number of cases of a disease than expected within a given
period among a specific population e.g. AIDS in North America
,Endemic - ANSWER The consistent presence of a disease within a particular geographic
region or population
Pandemic - ANSWER An epidemic that has spread to human populations across borders
William Farr - ANSWER 1807-1883; in the Western world regarded as one of the
founders of DESCRIPTIVE EPIDEMIOLOGY-medical statistics
John Snow - ANSWER 1813-1858; regarded in the Western world as the father of
ANALYTICAL EPIDEMIOLOGY; leader in the adoption of anesthesia and medical hygeine
Triad of descriptive epidemiology - ANSWER Examines the NATURAL HISTORY and
DISTRIBUTION of disease via:
1. Time
2. Person
3. Place
TIME in descriptive epidemiology - ANSWER 1. Annually?, seasonally?, daily?
2. Changing or stable?, trends compared with x years ago?
3. Clustered (epidemic) or evenly distributed (endemic)
PERSON in descriptive epidemiology - ANSWER 1. Age
2. Gender
3. Ethnicity
4. Marital status
5. Socioeconomic status
6. Occupation
PLACE in descriptive epidemiology - ANSWER 1. Geographically restricted or
, widespread
2. Geographic variation (rural/urban)
3. Multiple clusters or one
4. Physical location in relation to water and food supply, pollution
Strengths of descriptive epidemiology - ANSWER 1. Determines the extent of disease in
the community
2. Evaluates trends and disease within and among populations
3. Provides a basis for planning, provision, and evaluation of health services
4. Provides data to be analyzed
Types of descriptive epidemiological studies - ANSWER 1. Case reports
2. Case series
3. Correlation studies**
4. Cross sectional studies= community health survey**
Strengths of analytic epidemiology - ANSWER 1. Measures the determinants of disease
in a population
2. Identifies risk factors
3. Identifies causative agents
4. Employs comparison groups
Analytic epidemiology - ANSWER Examines a specific hypothesis of association
between exposure and disease
Triad of analytic epidemiology - ANSWER 1. Host factors (nutritional status, immune
status, genetics)
2. Agent (bacteria, virus, pollution, radiation)
3. Enviroment (living situation)
Questions And 100% Correct Answers
What does public health policy concern itself with? - ANSWER Safeguarding and
protecting the health of a community as a whole e.g. immunizations, motor vehicle
safety, workplace safety, control of infectious diseases, safer and healthier foods,
healthier mothers and babies, family planning
What concern is the epidemiologist? - ANSWER Community health
Disease - ANSWER An abnormal condition that impairs proper physiological or
psychological function
Illness - ANS Subjective state of a person aware of not being well
Sickness - ANS State of social dysfunction; a role that the individual assumes when ill
Clinical diagnosis - ANS Clinical finding associated with pathology in a large group of
people
Prognosis - ANS Observations of a large group of people with the same disease, stage,
treatment
How does epidemiology impact the choice of appropriate therapy? - ANSWER Research
into the outcomes of therapy in a large randomized clinical trial
Epidemic - ANSWER Greater number of cases of a disease than expected within a given
period among a specific population e.g. AIDS in North America
,Endemic - ANSWER The consistent presence of a disease within a particular geographic
region or population
Pandemic - ANSWER An epidemic that has spread to human populations across borders
William Farr - ANSWER 1807-1883; in the Western world regarded as one of the
founders of DESCRIPTIVE EPIDEMIOLOGY-medical statistics
John Snow - ANSWER 1813-1858; regarded in the Western world as the father of
ANALYTICAL EPIDEMIOLOGY; leader in the adoption of anesthesia and medical hygeine
Triad of descriptive epidemiology - ANSWER Examines the NATURAL HISTORY and
DISTRIBUTION of disease via:
1. Time
2. Person
3. Place
TIME in descriptive epidemiology - ANSWER 1. Annually?, seasonally?, daily?
2. Changing or stable?, trends compared with x years ago?
3. Clustered (epidemic) or evenly distributed (endemic)
PERSON in descriptive epidemiology - ANSWER 1. Age
2. Gender
3. Ethnicity
4. Marital status
5. Socioeconomic status
6. Occupation
PLACE in descriptive epidemiology - ANSWER 1. Geographically restricted or
, widespread
2. Geographic variation (rural/urban)
3. Multiple clusters or one
4. Physical location in relation to water and food supply, pollution
Strengths of descriptive epidemiology - ANSWER 1. Determines the extent of disease in
the community
2. Evaluates trends and disease within and among populations
3. Provides a basis for planning, provision, and evaluation of health services
4. Provides data to be analyzed
Types of descriptive epidemiological studies - ANSWER 1. Case reports
2. Case series
3. Correlation studies**
4. Cross sectional studies= community health survey**
Strengths of analytic epidemiology - ANSWER 1. Measures the determinants of disease
in a population
2. Identifies risk factors
3. Identifies causative agents
4. Employs comparison groups
Analytic epidemiology - ANSWER Examines a specific hypothesis of association
between exposure and disease
Triad of analytic epidemiology - ANSWER 1. Host factors (nutritional status, immune
status, genetics)
2. Agent (bacteria, virus, pollution, radiation)
3. Enviroment (living situation)
