BHS Public Health Policy and Systems 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'health equity' in public health?
- The attainment of the highest level of health for all people regardless of social position (Correct answer)
- Equal distribution of healthcare facilities
- Uniform insurance coverage for all citizens
- Equal spending per capita on health services
Correct answer: The attainment of the highest level of health for all people regardless of social position
Health equity means everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible, which requires removing obstacles like poverty, discrimination, and lack of access to care.
Question 2: In the US public health system, local health departments are primarily responsible for which function?
- Delivering direct health services and implementing state/federal programs at the community level (Correct answer)
- Setting national health policy
- Funding research institutions
- Accrediting hospitals and clinics
Correct answer: Delivering direct health services and implementing state/federal programs at the community level
Local health departments serve as the front line of public health, delivering services such as immunizations, disease surveillance, and maternal/child health programs.
Question 3: Which model is commonly used in public health to understand how individual behaviors, social influences, and environmental factors interact to affect health?
- The Social-Ecological Model (Correct answer)
- The Biomedical Model
- Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
- The Health Belief Model
Correct answer: The Social-Ecological Model
The Social-Ecological Model examines health at multiple levels — individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy — recognizing the complex interplay of factors.
Question 4: What is 'herd immunity' and at what approximate threshold does it generally protect a population from measles?
- When enough of a population is immune to prevent disease spread; about 95% for measles (Correct answer)
- When all high-risk individuals are vaccinated; about 70% for measles
- When the majority of healthcare workers are immune; about 80% for measles
- When government mandates vaccination; threshold varies by disease
Correct answer: When enough of a population is immune to prevent disease spread; about 95% for measles
Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient proportion of a community is immune, limiting disease spread and protecting even unvaccinated individuals; measles requires ~95% immunity due to its high transmissibility.
Question 5: Which US program provides free or low-cost vaccines to children through age 18 who are uninsured or underinsured?
- Vaccines for Children (VFC) program (Correct answer)
- CHIP immunization program
- Medicaid pediatric vaccine benefit
- Public health department vaccination initiative
Correct answer: Vaccines for Children (VFC) program
The VFC program, established in 1993, provides federally purchased vaccines at no cost to eligible children through enrolled healthcare providers.
Question 6: What is a 'health impact assessment' (HIA) used for in public health policy?
- Evaluating how a proposed policy or project may affect the health of a population (Correct answer)
- Assessing an individual's disease risk factors
- Measuring hospital performance quality
- Calculating the cost-effectiveness of treatments
Correct answer: Evaluating how a proposed policy or project may affect the health of a population
An HIA systematically evaluates the potential health effects of a policy, plan, program, or project on a population and recommends actions to maximize health benefits.
BHS Public Health Policy and Systems 2
What is 'health equity' in public health?