ATI RN
Introduction to Epidemiology Ray M Merrill Case Study Questions Questions
Question 1 of 5
A nurse is using analytic epidemiology when conducting a research project. Which of the following projects is the nurse most likely completing?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Determining factors contributing to childhood obesity. Analytic epidemiology involves analyzing the determinants of health and disease in populations. By studying the factors contributing to childhood obesity, the nurse is using analytic epidemiology to identify risk factors, trends, and patterns to develop prevention and intervention strategies. The other choices involve descriptive epidemiology (A: Reviewing communicable disease statistics, C: Analyzing locations where family violence is increasing) and basic data collection (D: Documenting population characteristics for healthy older citizens), which do not involve the in-depth analysis and investigation of causes and contributing factors that characterize analytic epidemiology.
Question 2 of 5
In a particular community, several high school students were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus Type 2 during the annual high school health fair. Over the next few years, the nursing staff developed and implemented educational programs about the risk factors for diabetes mellitus Type 2 and proper nutrition. Which of the following would be most useful for the nurses to use to determine if they are having any impact?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C because prevalence refers to the total number of existing cases of a disease in a specific population at a given point in time. Monitoring the prevalence of diabetes during screening events will indicate if the educational programs are effective in reducing the number of existing cases. A: The epidemic ending does not specifically measure the impact of the educational programs on diabetes prevalence. B: The incidence decreasing only reflects new cases, not the overall impact on existing cases. D: The risk increasing does not directly measure the impact of the educational programs on diabetes prevalence.
Question 3 of 5
A man is diagnosed with prostate cancer. Which of the following data should the nurse know to answer the man when he asks, “What are the chances I’ll survive this thing?â€
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Case fatality rate. This is the proportion of people diagnosed with a specific disease who die from that disease within a specified period. For a man diagnosed with prostate cancer, the case fatality rate would give him an estimate of the likelihood of dying from the cancer. A: Attack rate is the proportion of people who develop a specific disease among those exposed to the disease. It does not provide information on survival chances. C: Cause-specific morbidity rate is the proportion of people with a specific disease in a population. It does not directly indicate survival chances. D: Crude mortality rate is the total number of deaths from all causes in a population. It does not focus on a specific disease's survival chances.
Question 4 of 5
A school nurse wants to decrease the incidence of obesity in elementary school children. Which of the following describes a secondary prevention intervention that the nurse could implement?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C because weighing students to identify those who are overweight is a secondary prevention intervention. This intervention aims to identify and intervene with individuals who already have risk factors for obesity. By identifying overweight students, the nurse can provide targeted interventions and support to prevent further progression to obesity. Choice A is incorrect as it focuses on primary prevention by promoting healthy behaviors to prevent obesity in the first place. Choice B is also incorrect as it involves health promotion rather than targeting those already at risk. Choice D is incorrect as putting students on a diet without proper assessment and monitoring can be harmful and does not focus on prevention or early intervention.
Question 5 of 5
The administration at a local medical center examines the trends in health problems when developing long-range plans for staffing and space allocation. Which of the following sources of information would be most helpful?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: The National Hospital Discharge Survey. This source provides comprehensive data on hospital discharges, including diagnoses and procedures. It offers a broad overview of health problems and treatment trends on a national level, which can be valuable for long-range planning at a local medical center. A: Local data from a professional survey in the city may not capture a comprehensive picture of health trends compared to a national survey like the National Hospital Discharge Survey. B: The National Health Interview Survey focuses more on health behaviors and access to healthcare, rather than specific health problems and treatment trends, which may not be as directly relevant for staffing and space allocation planning. D: State vital statistics provide information on births, deaths, and other vital events but may not offer detailed data on specific health problems and treatment trends, as needed for staffing and space allocation planning.