NR 503 Epidemiology Final Exam – Chamberlain College
of Nursing | 50 Exam Questions with Correct Answers
(Latest 2025 Version)
Description:
Comprehensive exam study resource for NR 503 Epidemiology at Chamberlain College of
Nursing. Includes 50 well-explained exam questions and answers covering epidemiologic
methods, measures of disease frequency, study designs, public health applications, biostatistics,
and population health. Verified answers with detailed explanations help students prepare for
success on the final exam.
Course: NR 503 – Epidemiology (Chamberlain College of Nursing)
Keywords: epidemiology exam, NR 503 final, Chamberlain nursing, population health, study
designs, epidemiology Q&A
Q1. What is the primary goal of epidemiology?
A1. The primary goal of epidemiology is to identify the distribution and determinants of health-
related states or events in populations and apply this knowledge to control health problems. It
emphasizes prevention and promotion of public health rather than focusing only on treatment.
Q2. Differentiate between incidence and prevalence.
A2. Incidence refers to the number of new cases of a disease occurring within a specific time
period, while prevalence measures all existing cases (both new and old) in a population at a
given time. Incidence helps identify risk, whereas prevalence reflects disease burden.
Q3. What is the difference between descriptive and analytic epidemiology?
A3. Descriptive epidemiology focuses on the who, what, when, and where of health events,
often using person, place, and time. Analytic epidemiology examines why and how, testing
hypotheses about associations between exposures and outcomes using study designs.
Q4. Define the epidemiologic triad.
, A4. The epidemiologic triad is a model explaining disease causation, consisting of three
components: agent (cause of disease), host (susceptible person), and environment (external
factors that promote exposure). Their interaction determines disease occurrence.
Q5. What is a cohort study?
A5. A cohort study follows groups of people (exposed vs. non-exposed) over time to assess
disease development. It is prospective and can establish temporal relationships between
exposure and outcome, making it valuable for studying causality.
Q6. What is a case-control study?
A6. A case-control study compares individuals with a disease (cases) to those without (controls)
to identify past exposures. It is retrospective and efficient for studying rare diseases but may
suffer from recall bias.
Q7. Define a randomized controlled trial (RCT).
A7. An RCT is an experimental study in which participants are randomly assigned to an
intervention or control group. Randomization reduces bias and confounding, making RCTs the
gold standard for testing treatment or prevention interventions.
Q8. Explain the concept of confounding.
A8. Confounding occurs when a third factor distorts the observed relationship between
exposure and outcome. For example, smoking may confound the association between alcohol
consumption and lung cancer risk. Proper study design or statistical adjustments help control
confounding.
Q9. What is the difference between morbidity and mortality?
A9. Morbidity refers to the presence of disease, illness, or disability in a population, while
mortality refers to death. Epidemiologists use morbidity to assess health burden and mortality
to track fatal outcomes of diseases.
of Nursing | 50 Exam Questions with Correct Answers
(Latest 2025 Version)
Description:
Comprehensive exam study resource for NR 503 Epidemiology at Chamberlain College of
Nursing. Includes 50 well-explained exam questions and answers covering epidemiologic
methods, measures of disease frequency, study designs, public health applications, biostatistics,
and population health. Verified answers with detailed explanations help students prepare for
success on the final exam.
Course: NR 503 – Epidemiology (Chamberlain College of Nursing)
Keywords: epidemiology exam, NR 503 final, Chamberlain nursing, population health, study
designs, epidemiology Q&A
Q1. What is the primary goal of epidemiology?
A1. The primary goal of epidemiology is to identify the distribution and determinants of health-
related states or events in populations and apply this knowledge to control health problems. It
emphasizes prevention and promotion of public health rather than focusing only on treatment.
Q2. Differentiate between incidence and prevalence.
A2. Incidence refers to the number of new cases of a disease occurring within a specific time
period, while prevalence measures all existing cases (both new and old) in a population at a
given time. Incidence helps identify risk, whereas prevalence reflects disease burden.
Q3. What is the difference between descriptive and analytic epidemiology?
A3. Descriptive epidemiology focuses on the who, what, when, and where of health events,
often using person, place, and time. Analytic epidemiology examines why and how, testing
hypotheses about associations between exposures and outcomes using study designs.
Q4. Define the epidemiologic triad.
, A4. The epidemiologic triad is a model explaining disease causation, consisting of three
components: agent (cause of disease), host (susceptible person), and environment (external
factors that promote exposure). Their interaction determines disease occurrence.
Q5. What is a cohort study?
A5. A cohort study follows groups of people (exposed vs. non-exposed) over time to assess
disease development. It is prospective and can establish temporal relationships between
exposure and outcome, making it valuable for studying causality.
Q6. What is a case-control study?
A6. A case-control study compares individuals with a disease (cases) to those without (controls)
to identify past exposures. It is retrospective and efficient for studying rare diseases but may
suffer from recall bias.
Q7. Define a randomized controlled trial (RCT).
A7. An RCT is an experimental study in which participants are randomly assigned to an
intervention or control group. Randomization reduces bias and confounding, making RCTs the
gold standard for testing treatment or prevention interventions.
Q8. Explain the concept of confounding.
A8. Confounding occurs when a third factor distorts the observed relationship between
exposure and outcome. For example, smoking may confound the association between alcohol
consumption and lung cancer risk. Proper study design or statistical adjustments help control
confounding.
Q9. What is the difference between morbidity and mortality?
A9. Morbidity refers to the presence of disease, illness, or disability in a population, while
mortality refers to death. Epidemiologists use morbidity to assess health burden and mortality
to track fatal outcomes of diseases.
