AMC MCQ Population Health and Epidemiology 2

Question 1

A case-control study reports an odds ratio of 3.2 for smoking and a rare disease. What does this odds ratio best approximate?

Accepted Answer

The relative risk of the disease

Answer

For rare diseases the odds ratio closely approximates the relative risk because the disease odds approximate the disease risk.

Question 2

A new screening test has high sensitivity but low specificity. What is the most likely consequence in a low-prevalence population?

Accepted Answer

Many false positives

Answer

Low specificity combined with low disease prevalence generates a large number of false-positive results.

Question 3

Which measure quantifies the proportion of disease in exposed individuals attributable to the exposure?

Accepted Answer

Attributable risk (risk difference)

Answer

Attributable risk is the difference in risk between exposed and unexposed groups, reflecting excess risk due to exposure.

Question 4

In a randomised controlled trial, allocation concealment primarily protects against which bias?

Accepted Answer

Selection bias

Answer

Allocation concealment prevents foreknowledge of group assignment, reducing selection bias at enrolment.

Question 5

A study finds an association between coffee drinking and lung cancer, but smoking is more common among coffee drinkers. Smoking is best described as a:

Accepted Answer

Confounder

Answer

Smoking is associated with both the exposure and the outcome and is not on the causal pathway, making it a confounder.

AMC MCQ Practice Test

AMC MCQ Practice Test

AMC MCQ Population Health and Epidemiology 2