AMC MCQ - Australian Medical Council Multiple Choice Questions Population Health and Epidemiology Questions and Answers 1

Question 1

Researchers wish to investigate a potential link between a rare form of liver cancer and exposure to a specific industrial solvent. They identify 100 individuals with this cancer from a national registry and select 200 individuals without the cancer from the general population. A detailed occupational history is then taken from all participants to determine past exposure to the solvent. Which of the following best describes this study design?

Accepted Answer

Case-control study

Answer

This is a case-control study. The design starts by identifying participants based on their disease status (cases with liver cancer vs. controls without) and then looks backward in time (retrospectively) to compare the frequency of exposure to the solvent in each group. This design is particularly efficient for studying rare diseases.

Question 2

A public health program offers free influenza vaccinations to all healthcare workers before the flu season begins. This initiative aims to prevent the workers from contracting influenza and spreading it to vulnerable patients. Which level of prevention does this activity represent?

Accepted Answer

Primary prevention

Answer

This is an example of primary prevention. Primary prevention aims to prevent the onset of disease before it occurs. Vaccination provides immunity to prevent the initial infection, thus stopping the disease process from starting.

Question 3

In a hospital-based case-control study investigating risk factors for acute pancreatitis, cases are patients admitted with the condition. The investigators select controls from the orthopaedic ward, consisting of patients admitted for elective knee replacement surgery. The study finds a strong association between high alcohol consumption and pancreatitis. Which type of bias is the most significant concern for the validity of these findings?

Accepted Answer

Selection bias

Answer

Selection bias is the most significant concern. The control group (elective knee replacement patients) is not representative of the general population from which the cases arose. This group may have different baseline characteristics, including different rates of alcohol consumption or other health behaviours, compared to the source population of the cases. This systematic difference in the selection of study groups can distort the true association between alcohol and pancreatitis.

Question 4

According to the Wilson and Jungner criteria, which of the following is an essential principle for a successful and ethical population-based screening program?

Accepted Answer

There should be an accepted and available treatment for the condition if detected.

Answer

A core principle of screening is that there must be an effective and accessible treatment for individuals diagnosed with the condition. Screening for a disease for which no effective treatment exists would provide little benefit to the individual or the population and could cause unnecessary anxiety and harm.

Question 5

In a stable population of 50,000 people, there were 1,000 existing cases of diagnosed osteoarthritis at the start of a year. Over the course of that year, 200 new cases were diagnosed. What was the incidence rate of osteoarthritis per 1,000 people for that year?

Accepted Answer

4.1

Answer

Incidence measures the rate of new cases in the population at risk. The population at risk is the total population minus those who already have the disease (50,000 - 1,000 = 49,000). The calculation is (Number of new cases / Population at risk) * 1000. Therefore, (200 / 49,000) * 1000 ≈ 4.08, which is approximately 4.1 per 1,000 people.

AMC MCQ Practice Test

AMC MCQ Practice Test

AMC MCQ - Australian Medical Council Multiple Choice Questions Population Health and Epidemiology Questions and Answers 1