Health Appraisal & Risk Assessment Flashcards
7 cards from real ACSM practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Health Appraisal & Risk Assessment flashcards as text
Which lipoprotein value, if elevated, is considered a NEGATIVE (protective) risk factor in ACSM cardiovascular risk stratification?
Answer: HDL-C ≥ 60 mg/dL
HDL-C ≥ 60 mg/dL is the only negative (protective) risk factor in ACSM's CVD risk factor threshold list, which removes one positive risk factor from the total count.
An exercise physiologist is reviewing a client's waist circumference measurement. For a male client, which value exceeds the ACSM obesity risk threshold?
Answer: > 102 cm (40 inches)
ACSM identifies waist circumference > 102 cm (40 inches) for men and > 88 cm (35 inches) for women as thresholds indicating increased health risk.
During a resting ECG obtained as part of pre-exercise health appraisal, which finding would most warrant immediate physician referral before exercise testing?
Answer: Left bundle branch block
Left bundle branch block is an abnormal ECG finding that warrants medical evaluation before exercise testing, as it can mask ischemic changes.
A client reports taking a beta-blocker medication. How should the exercise physiologist account for this during health appraisal?
Answer: It may attenuate heart rate response, affecting target HR calculations
Beta-blockers blunt the heart rate response to exercise, requiring use of RPE rather than heart rate targets for exercise prescription.
When assessing a client's readiness for exercise using the Transtheoretical Model, a person who has been exercising regularly for 3 weeks is in which stage?
Answer: Action
The Action stage is defined by actively performing the target behavior (regular exercise) for less than 6 months.
Which of the following is the MOST appropriate initial assessment tool for identifying fall risk in an older adult client during health appraisal?
Answer: Timed Up and Go (TUG) test
The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test assesses mobility, balance, and fall risk by timing a person rising from a chair, walking 3 meters, and returning.
A client discloses they are currently pregnant (16 weeks). Which absolute contraindication to exercise, if present, would require immediate cessation of an exercise program?
Answer: Incompetent cervix or cerclage
Incompetent cervix or cerclage is an ACOG/ACSM absolute contraindication to exercise during pregnancy, requiring program discontinuation.