Preventive Medicine and Public Health Flashcards

Which environmental toxin is classically associated with Itai-Itai disease in Japan?

Answer: Cadmium

Itai-Itai disease was caused by cadmium contamination of rice paddies from mining runoff, causing painful osteomalacia and renal tubular damage.

In health services research, 'effectiveness' differs from 'efficacy' in that effectiveness measures:

Answer: Outcomes under real-world conditions

Effectiveness measures how well an intervention works under real-world conditions, while efficacy measures performance under ideal trial conditions.

The 'inverse care law' proposed by Julian Tudor Hart states that:

Answer: The availability of good medical care tends to vary inversely with the need for it

The inverse care law describes how populations with greatest health needs often receive the least adequate medical care, particularly in market-driven systems.

Which measure of central tendency is least affected by extreme outliers?

Answer: Median

The median is the middle value of a distribution and is resistant to the influence of extreme values (outliers) unlike the mean.

The DALY (Disability-Adjusted Life Year) combines:

Answer: Years of life lost due to premature mortality and years lived with disability

One DALY = one lost year of healthy life, combining years of life lost (YLL) from premature death and years lived with disability (YLD).

In the context of infectious disease control, 'quarantine' differs from 'isolation' in that quarantine applies to:

Answer: Exposed individuals who may or may not be infected

Quarantine restricts movement of exposed but potentially uninfected individuals, while isolation separates confirmed or suspected cases from others.

A community intervention program reduces hypertension prevalence from 30% to 24%. The relative risk reduction is:

Answer: 20%

Relative risk reduction = (30% - 24%) / 30% × 100 = 20%, representing the proportional reduction in risk due to the intervention.