MS Master of Public Health 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In epidemiology, what does the term 'incidence rate' measure?
- Number of new cases per population at risk over a defined time period (Correct answer)
- Total cases existing in a population at one point in time
- Number of deaths from a disease
- Proportion of exposed individuals who develop disease
Correct answer: Number of new cases per population at risk over a defined time period
Incidence rate measures the rate of new case development in a population at risk during a specified time interval, expressed per person-time.
Question 2: What is the primary goal of the US Healthy People 2030 initiative?
- Improve health and well-being of all Americans through science-based national objectives (Correct answer)
- Regulate pharmaceutical pricing
- Reform hospital billing practices
- Mandate annual physicals for all citizens
Correct answer: Improve health and well-being of all Americans through science-based national objectives
Healthy People 2030 sets data-driven national objectives to improve health, well-being, and equity for all Americans over the decade.
Question 3: What is the difference between primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention in public health?
- Primary prevents disease onset; secondary detects early; tertiary reduces disability from existing disease (Correct answer)
- Primary treats disease; secondary prevents complications; tertiary monitors
- All three aim to treat existing conditions
- Primary is most effective for chronic diseases only
Correct answer: Primary prevents disease onset; secondary detects early; tertiary reduces disability from existing disease
Primary prevention stops disease before it occurs (e.g., vaccination), secondary detects and treats early disease (e.g., screening), and tertiary manages existing disease to prevent disability.
Question 4: In a randomized controlled trial (RCT), what is the main purpose of randomization?
- Eliminate selection bias and ensure comparable groups at baseline (Correct answer)
- Increase sample size
- Blind participants to their treatment
- Reduce cost of the study
Correct answer: Eliminate selection bias and ensure comparable groups at baseline
Randomization distributes both known and unknown confounding variables equally across treatment and control groups, reducing selection bias and allowing causal inference.
Question 5: What does the social determinants of health (SDOH) framework emphasize?
- Non-medical factors like income, education, and housing strongly influence health outcomes (Correct answer)
- Genetics is the primary driver of health
- Medical care is the most important factor in population health
- Lifestyle choices alone determine individual health
Correct answer: Non-medical factors like income, education, and housing strongly influence health outcomes
The SDOH framework recognizes that economic stability, education, social context, neighborhood environment, and healthcare access profoundly shape health outcomes.
Question 6: What is the purpose of an Institutional Review Board (IRB) in public health research?
- Protect the rights and welfare of human research participants (Correct answer)
- Fund public health research projects
- Publish research findings
- Train researchers in laboratory techniques
Correct answer: Protect the rights and welfare of human research participants
An IRB reviews research protocols involving human subjects to ensure ethical conduct, informed consent, and minimization of risks to participants.
MS Master of Public Health 1
In epidemiology, what does the term 'incidence rate' measure?