ATI RN
Introduction to Epidemiology Ray M Merrill Case Study Questions Questions
Question 1 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: The prevalence of diabetes is slowly decreasing during screening events. Rationale: 1. Prevalence refers to the total number of existing cases of a disease within a population at a specific time. 2. By monitoring the prevalence of diabetes during screening events, nurses can assess the impact of their educational programs. 3. A decrease in prevalence indicates that the educational programs may be effective in reducing the number of diabetes cases. 4. Options A, B, and D do not directly measure the impact of the educational programs on diabetes prevalence, making them incorrect choices.
Question 2 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 focuses on early detection and intervention for individuals who already have risk factors for a health condition, in this case, obesity. By identifying overweight students early on, the nurse can provide targeted interventions and support to prevent further weight gain and related health issues. A, giving a presentation on the importance of exercise, is more of a primary prevention strategy aimed at educating all students to prevent obesity from occurring in the first place. B, designing a game for healthy food choices, is also a primary prevention strategy that promotes healthy behaviors for all students. D, putting students on a diet if they are overweight, is more of a tertiary prevention approach focusing on treatment after the condition has already developed, rather than early detection and prevention.
Question 3 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 utilization, including reasons for admission and discharge diagnoses. It offers insights into the specific health problems that require hospitalization, which is crucial for staffing and space allocation planning. A: Local data drawn from a professional survey in the city - While local data can be valuable, it may not provide a comprehensive overview of health problems that require hospitalization. B: The National Health Interview Survey - This survey focuses on health behaviors and access to care, rather than specific health problems that lead to hospitalization. D: The state's vital statistics - While vital statistics provide general health information, they may not offer detailed insights into specific health problems requiring hospitalization.
Question 4 of 5
A principal comments to the school nurse that it seems there are a lot more problems with asthma among the students than there were before the school was remodeled a couple of years ago. The nurse investigates the principal’s observation by reviewing all the school records to determine visits to the health office because of asthma by week and month for the past 5 years. Which of the following best describes the type of study the nurse is conducting?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Ecological study. In this scenario, the nurse is reviewing school records to investigate the relationship between the school remodeling and the increase in asthma cases among students. This type of study looks at group-level data without focusing on individual-level data. 1. An ecological study examines the relationship between exposure (school remodeling) and outcome (increase in asthma cases) at the population or group level. 2. Descriptive epidemiological study (A) focuses on describing the distribution of a disease within a population but does not investigate causal relationships. 3. Prospective cohort study (C) involves following a group of individuals over time to study the development of specific outcomes. This study is not following individuals but rather looking at group-level data. 4. Option D appears to be incomplete and does not relate to the type of study being conducted. Therefore, the nurse is conducting an ecological study by analyzing school records to determine the association between the school remodeling and the increase in asthma cases among students
Question 5 of 5
Which of the following explains why contagious infections are becoming a central focus of public health? (Select all that apply.)
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Step 1: Awareness of human susceptibility to animal diseases has been publicized, leading to increased concern about zoonotic infections. Step 2: Zoonotic infections can easily spread from animals to humans, causing contagious outbreaks. Step 3: Public health efforts are focusing on preventing and controlling these infections to protect human health. Summary: A: Fear of bioterrorism is not a primary reason for the focus on contagious infections. C: No information is provided to support this choice. D: Drug-resistant strains of old diseases are a concern, but not the main reason for the current focus on contagious infections.