ATI RN
Introduction to Epidemiology Ray M Merrill Case Study Questions Questions
Question 1 of 5
Which of the following factors is a component of the epidemiological triad?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Environment. The epidemiological triad consists of three components - host, agent, and environment. The environment plays a crucial role in determining the interactions between the host and agent, influencing the occurrence and spread of diseases. Susceptibility (A) refers to the host's vulnerability to a disease, portal of exit (C) is the route through which an infectious agent leaves the host, and pathogenicity (D) is the ability of an agent to cause disease. These factors are important in disease transmission but are not part of the epidemiological triad itself.
Question 2 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 3 of 5
Several small communities have applied for grant funding from the state department of health
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Step 1: Identify the issue - The issue is determining the priority for grant funding among the communities based on teenage pregnancy rates. Step 2: Consider impact - Community size affects the scale of the issue. Step 3: Evaluate severity - Although communities B and C have higher total numbers of teenage pregnancies, community A has the highest rate per capita. Step 4: Conclusion - The nurse should suggest funding for Community A first due to the highest rate of teenage pregnancies per capita, indicating a more urgent need for intervention. Summary: Choice A is correct as it prioritizes the community with the highest rate of teenage pregnancies per capita. Choices B, and C have higher total numbers of teenage pregnancies, but A is more urgent due to its smaller population. Choice D has the highest total number of teenage pregnancies, but the rate per capita in Community A is the highest, making it the most critical.
Question 4 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 5 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.