CPH Sample Exam Questions & Answers. Graded A. 2022/2023
Which one of the following items does not represent the value of biostatistics in the assessment of health problems of the population and determine their ex
...
CPH Sample Exam Questions & Answers. Graded A. 2022/2023
Which one of the following items does not represent the value of biostatistics in the assessment of health problems of the population and determine their extent?
(A) Finding patterns in the collected data
(B) Summarizing and presenting the information to best describe the target population
(C) Deciding what information to gather to help identify the health problems
(D) Accounting for possible inaccuracies in responses and measurements - ✔✔(D) Accounting for possible inaccuracies in responses and measurements
A biostatistician's responsibility within a collaborating research team is to aid in the research design, analysis, and interpretation of the data. (A), (B), and (C) all describe tasks that would fall within a biostatistician's expertise area. A biostatistician would not be able to account for possible inaccuracies in the data. This is because a biostatistician only has access to the information contained within the data at hand and does not have information concerning the underlying reasoning for inaccuracies in the data.
The health department is committed to protecting and promoting the health of the country's
residents. Which of the following components of a strategic plan does this statement represent?
A. objective
B. vision
C. mission
D. goal - ✔✔C. mission
Reduce the number of teenagers who begin to smoke. Which of the following components of a
strategic plan does this statement represent?
A. goal
B. mission
C. objective
D. vision - ✔✔A. goal
The new director of a county health department is getting acquainted with her staff. After several
weeks of observing how her two associate directors supervise their subordinates, she notes
striking differences in their management styles.
One associate director manages employees by assuming that they are highly motivated. He
tells members of his staff that they can time-shift their work hours to accommodate their family
schedules as long as they get their work done. This director's approach to management
exemplifies which of the following leadership theories?
A. Contingency theory
B. House's path goal theory
C. McGregor's theory Y
D. Theory Z - ✔✔C. McGregor's theory Y
The other associate director assumes that employees find no satisfaction in their work and are
exclusively motivated by their salaries. This associate director's approach to management
exemplifies which of the following leadership theories?
A. McGregor's theory
B. Contingency theory
C. Theory Z
D. House's path goal therapy - ✔✔A. McGregor's theory
The director wants to adopt a management strategy that will meet the needs of all personnel in
her department, including the two associate directors and their diverse staffs and
responsibilities. The most appropriate leadership style for this director is one informed by which
of the following theories?
A. Theory Z
B. McGregor's theory
C. House's path to goal therapy
D. Contingency therapy - ✔✔D. Contingency therapy
A community-based study of a program to increase physical activity is conducted, and the
findings are evaluated. A small p-value with an estimate is reported. Which of the following
is the best interpretation of this result?
A. It is likely the estimate differs from the true value because of bias.
B. It is likely the estimate differs randomly and systematically from the norm.
C. It is unlikely the estimate differs from the average because of chance.
D. It is unlikely the estimate differs from the null value because of random variability - ✔✔D. It is unlikely the estimate differs from the null value because of random variability
A pilot study is conducted to examine whether a new drug effectively decreases cholesterol
levels over a 6-week period. Twelve participants are enrolled, and serum cholesterol levels
are measured before and after the 6-week treatment period. Investigators plan to use a
paired t-test to examine whether the drug was effective in reducing cholesterol levels.
The paired t-test is more appropriate for analysis of the results than a two-sample t-test for
which of the following reasons?
A. dependence between the pre-test and post-test measurements
B. potential non-normality of the responses
C. heterogeneous variances of the two groups
6
D. non-randomness of the timing of the measurements - ✔✔A. dependence between the pre-test and post-test measurements
A pilot study is conducted to examine whether a new drug effectively decreases cholesterol
levels over a 6-week period. Twelve participants are enrolled, and serum cholesterol levels
are measured before and after the 6-week treatment period. Investigators plan to use a
paired t-test to examine whether the drug was effective in reducing cholesterol levels.
Which of the following are the degrees of freedom for this paired t-test?
A. 10
B. 11
C. 12
D. 13
ANSWER B - ✔✔B. 11
A pilot study is conducted to examine whether a new drug effectively decreases cholesterol
levels over a 6-week period. Twelve participants are enrolled, and serum cholesterol levels
are measured before and after the 6-week treatment period. Investigators plan to use a
paired t-test to examine whether the drug was effective in reducing cholesterol levels.
If the p-value were calculated to be 0.015, which of the following would be the most
appropriate interpretation of this p-value?
A. The probability of seeing results as unusual as the observed under the alternative
hypothesis is very small.
B. The probability of seeing results as unusual as the observed under the null hypothesis
very small.
C. The probability that the alternative hypothesis is false is very small.
D. The probability that the alternative hypothesis is true is very small.
ANSWER B - ✔✔B. The probability of seeing results as unusual as the observed under the null hypothesis
very small.
Which of the following statements best describes an intent-to-treat analysis?
A. Analyses compare characteristics of participants who did and did not adhere to the
randomized treatment.
B. Analyses exclude all participants who did not adhere to the assigned randomized
treatment.
C. Analyses maintain the original randomized assignment of treatments in the definition of
intervention and control groups.
D. Analyses reorganize participants into intervention and control groups based on their
actual participation. - ✔✔C. Analyses maintain the original randomized assignment of treatments in the definition of
intervention and control groups.
A study is conducted to examine whether elderly women in at-home care settings maintain
more cognitive ability than women who are residents of skilled nursing care facilities. Two
7
groups of 30 elderly women were recruited independently: one group included women living
at home with a caregiver, and the second group included women living in skilled nursing care
facilities. The women were asked to perform a task and received scores on the execution of
the task (higher scores indicated higher cognitive functioning). Which of the following is the
most appropriate approach for analyzing these data?
A. chi-square (χ
2
) test
B. correlation analysis
C. paired t-test
D. two-sample t-test - ✔✔D. two-sample t-test
A study is conducted to evaluate the relationship between pet ownership and having
depressive symptoms. Seventy participants are recruited. Each subject is identified as a
current pet owner or a non-pet owner. Participants are categorized as having or not having
symptoms of depression. Which of the following is the most appropriate method to evaluate
the association between pet ownership and having depressive symptoms in this population?
A. paired t-test
B. two-sample t-test
C. chi-square (χ2) test
D. correlation analysis - ✔✔C. chi-square (χ2) test
The epidemic of methyl mercury poisoning in Minamata, Japan, in the 1950s illustrated
contamination of which of the following?
A. water
B. fish
C. soil
D. feed grain - ✔✔B. fish
The Ministry of Health of a developing country is considering the nationwide implementation of
a test using biomarkers to screen for breast cancer. The test is delivered in health clinics in two
similar regions of the country, with the following results:
Region A Region B
Sensitivity 70% 80%
Specificity 85% 95%
The positive and negative predictive values are different between the two regions. Which of
the following is the most likely cause of the difference in the test's predictive values between
the two regions?
A. The prevalence of disease is different between the two regions.
B. The test is detecting the disease earlier in its natural history in one of the regions.
C. The test was not administered in similar conditions in the two regions.
D. Length-biased sampling has occurred. - ✔✔C. The test was not administered in similar conditions in the two regions.
The Ministry of Health of a developing country is considering the nationwide implementation of
a test using biomarkers to screen for breast cancer. The test is delivered in health clinics in two
similar regions of the country, with the following results:
Region A Region B
Sensitivity 70% 80%
Specificity 85% 95%
Which of the following is the most likely cause of the difference in the test's sensitivity and
specificity between the two regions?
A. The test is detecting the disease earlier in its natural history in one of the regions.
B. Length-biased sampling has occurred.
C. The test was not administered in similar conditions in the two regions.
D. The prevalence of disease is different between the two regions - ✔✔D. The prevalence of disease is different between the two regions
A study investigated the effects of exposure to radioactive fallout from the Hanford Nuclear
Site in Washington State in the 1940s and 1950s and subsequent development of thyroid
cancer among persons exposed as children and adolescents. Scientists used birth data from
the study area to trace and contact subjects to participate in the study. Screening consisted of
thyroid palpation, ultrasonography of the thyroid gland, and measurement of thyroid hormone
concentrations in serum and urine. Individual thyroid radiation doses were estimated from
interview data concerning place of residence and dietary history. As a result of screening, 19
subjects were diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
Which of the following terms best describes this type of study design?
A. case-control
B. ecological
C. retrospective cohort
D. cross-sectional - ✔✔C. retrospective cohort
A study investigated the effects of exposure to radioactive fallout from the Hanford Nuclear
Site in Washington State in the 1940s and 1950s and subsequent development of thyroid
cancer among persons exposed as children and adolescents. Scientists used birth data from
9
the study area to trace and contact subjects to participate in the study. Screening consisted of
thyroid palpation, ultrasonography of the thyroid gland, and measurement of thyroid hormone
concentrations in serum and urine. Individual thyroid radiation doses were estimated from
interview data concerning place of residence and dietary history. As a result of screening, 19
subjects were diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
Which of the following is the most appropriate measure of effect for this type of study?
A. prevalence odds ratio
B. odds ratio
C. correlation coefficient
D. risk ratio - ✔✔D. risk ratio
A study investigated the effects of exposure to radioactive fallout from the Hanford Nuclear
Site in Washington State in the 1940s and 1950s and subsequent development of thyroid
cancer among persons exposed as children and adolescents. Scientists used birth data from
the study area to trace and contact subjects to participate in the study. Screening consisted of
thyroid palpation, ultrasonography of the thyroid gland, and measurement of thyroid hormone
concentrations in serum and urine. Individual thyroid radiation doses were estimated from
interview data concerning place of residence and dietary history. As a result of screening, 19
subjects were diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
Which of the following terms is most appropriate to describe the cases of thyroid cancer
identified during the first screening in this study?
A. prevalent
B. interval
C. recurrent
D. incident - ✔✔A. prevalent
A county public health department has prepared the annual operating budget for its childhood vaccination program. It forecasts that 90,000 children will be vaccinated, requiring a total of 48,000 hours of nursing labor at an average cost of $25 per hour and 100,000 doses of vaccination at an average cost of $1.50 per dose. Fixed costs of the vaccination program, such as administration and overhead, are estimated at $50,000. Which of the following calculations is most appropriate to obtain the forecast vaccination expense per child?
A.
(48,000 × $1.50) / 90,000
B.
(90,000 × $1.50) / 48,000
C.
(100,000 × $1.50) / 48,000
D.
(100,000 × $1.50) / 90,000 - ✔✔D.
(100,000 × $1.50) / 90,000
A study is conducted to compare colorectal screening rates in white and African-American men. Researchers contact 50 white men and 50 African-American men older than 50 years of age by telephone and ask them if they have undergone colorectal screening. Fifty-five percent of white men and 49% of African-American men report undergoing appropriate screening. Which of the following tests is the most appropriate method of analysis of the survey data?
A.
paired t-test
B.
Pearson chi-square (X2) test
C.
two-sample t-test
D.
Spearman correlation test - ✔✔B.
Pearson chi-square (X2) test
Which of the following terms best describes the power of a local jurisdiction to independently regulate public health, safety, and welfare?
A.
unionism
B.
home rule
C.
preemption
D.
self-administration - ✔✔B.
home rule
Which of the following terms refers to the systematic method by which environmental exposure to a substance is quantified using information about the hazardous properties of the substance, human exposure to the substance, dose-response relationships, and risk characterization?
A.
risk management
B.
risk assessment
C.
risk communication
D.
risk control - ✔✔B.
risk assessment
A local health department establishes a program with community outreach and clinical components that is intended to reduce the number of drug-resistant tuberculosis cases. A measure of the program's outcomes is the number of
A.
clinical visits for drug-resistant tuberculosis.
B.
community education sessions.
C.
drug-resistant tuberculosis cases.
D.
patients receiving follow-up care for drug-resistant tuberculosis. - ✔✔C.
drug-resistant tuberculosis cases.
A group uses problem solving to reconcile underlying differences and create a win-win situation for the mutual benefit of all parties. This approach exemplifies which of the following styles of conflict management?
A.
accommodating
B.
avoiding
C.
collaborating
D.
compromising - ✔✔C.
collaborating
According to the transtheoretical model of change, as individuals go from pre-contemplation to maintenance, "con" behavioral beliefs decrease and "pro" behavioral beliefs increase. This process is best described as which of the following?
A.
decisional balance
B.
self-liberation
C.
reinforcement management
D.
self-efficacy - ✔✔A.
decisional balance
When a public health issue emerges for which there is no "evidence base" to suggest a response strategy, which of the following actions on the part of a public health professional is most appropriate?
A.
Defer action on the issue until further information about the appropriate intervention is available.
B.
Dismiss the issue because there is insufficient evidence to make an informed decision.
C.
Implement several different strategies at once to assess which is most effective.
D.
Invest in data collection and community-based research to build a more thorough understanding of the issue. - ✔✔D.
Invest in data collection and community-based research to build a more thorough understanding of the issue.
A study of national patterns of smoking prevalence finds that the prevalence of women smokers is higher in countries with higher national income per capita, but lower in countries experiencing rapid economic growth. Among men, the prevalence of smoking is lower in countries with higher national per capita income, but higher in countries experiencing rapid economic growth. This finding is an example of which of the following phenomena?
A.
bias
B.
confounding
C.
interaction
D.
error - ✔✔C.
interaction
A person states, "As an African-American male in my 60s, I am at risk for prostate cancer." Which of the following is the construct of the Health Belief Model that is best illustrated by this statement?
A.
perceived susceptibility
B.
perceived barriers
C.
perceived benefits
D.
perceived severity - ✔✔A.
perceived susceptibility
Which of the following is a priority air pollutant regulated by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)?
A.
asbestos
B.
carbon dioxide
C.
methane
D.
ozone - ✔✔D.
ozone
A multi-state regional coalition is in place to identify successful state-level strategies for enhancing health care and other community services for children with special health needs. The coalition membership currently includes health care professionals and representatives from state departments of public health, housing, education, Medicaid, and social services. There is one remaining open seat. Which of the following representatives is most appropriate to fill the open slot?
A.
a principal from one of the region's elementary schools
B.
a member of a parent advocacy group
C.
a pediatric cardiologist
D.
a pharmacist - ✔✔B.
a member of a parent advocacy group
Variation in rates of medical procedures by race, even when controlling for insurance status, income, age, and severity of conditions, is an example of
A.
health disparity.
B.
racism.
C.
inadequate access to health care.
D.
a high rate of uninsured individuals. - ✔✔A.
health disparity.
Which of the following models explains the relationship between socioeconomic status and health by illustrating that health status and social standing are linked to a combination of interrelated social, cultural, psychological, and environmental factors?
A.
ecological
B.
health belief
C.
transtheoretical
D.
social influence - ✔✔A.
ecological
Which of the following is the most accurate source of denominator data for calculating disease rates in a defined population?
A.
United States Census
B.
death certificates
C.
hospital discharge records
D.
reportable infectious disease reports - ✔✔A.
United States Census
The theory of reasoned action is a model of health behavior targeted at which of the following levels?
A.
community
B.
global
C.
individual
D.
organizational - ✔✔C.
individual
The association between disease status and exposure for a sample from a population is as follows:
Exposed Not Exposed Total
Diseased 50 400 450
Not Diseased 50 5000 5050
Total 100 5400 5500
Which of the following is the estimated ratio of the odds of disease in the exposed versus unexposed groups?
A.
(50 / 450) ÷ (50 / 5,050)
B.
(50 / 50) ÷ (400 / 5,000)
C.
(50 / 5,050) ÷ (50 / 450)
D.
(400 / 5,400) ÷ (50 / 100) - ✔✔B.
(50 / 50) ÷ (400 / 5,000)
Assume that the true odds ratio between an exposure and a disease is 2.7. Which of the following results in an observed odds ratio that is weaker than the true odds ratio?
A.
decreased ability to diagnose disease in unexposed individuals compared with exposed individuals
B.
failure of the unexposed individuals to participate in the study
C.
lower prevalence of exposure in control participants than in the total control population
D.
poor-quality exposure information that introduces random error into the exposure classification - ✔✔D.
poor-quality exposure information that introduces random error into the exposure classification
Which of the following best describes the elasticity of demand for health care in the United States?
A.
perfectly elastic
B.
perfectly inelastic
C.
relatively elastic
D.
relatively inelastic - ✔✔D.
relatively inelastic
Which of the following categories is officially sanctioned by the United States federal government with regard to describing ethnicity?
A.
American Indian or Alaska Native
B.
Asian or White
C.
Black or African-American
D.
Hispanic or Latino - ✔✔D.
Hispanic or Latino
A health behaviors survey conducted in a large urban area includes a question about whether a person is a smoker. The company conducting the survey decides to increase the size of its random sample of survey participants from 1,500 people to approximately 20,000 people. This change will most likely have which of the following effects?
A.
increasing the standard error of the estimate
B.
decreasing the variability of the estimate
C.
no effect on survey statistics because the population size is the same
D.
increasing the confidence interval width for the parameter - ✔✔B.
decreasing the variability of the estimate
[Show More]
