Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Nutrition Assessment & Counseling 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which anthropometric measurement best estimates visceral fat and cardiovascular disease risk?
- Tricep skinfold thickness
- Waist circumference (Correct answer)
- Mid-upper arm circumference
- Wrist circumference
Correct answer: Waist circumference
Waist circumference directly reflects visceral adiposity and is strongly associated with metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk.
Question 2: What does the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) primarily evaluate?
- Blood glucose control
- Nutritional status using dietary history and physical examination (Correct answer)
- Hydration status only
- Bone mineral density
Correct answer: Nutritional status using dietary history and physical examination
The SGA assesses nutritional status by combining dietary history, weight change patterns, and physical examination findings.
Question 3: Which serum protein has the shortest half-life and is the most sensitive acute marker of nutritional change?
- Albumin (~21 days)
- Transferrin (~8–10 days)
- Prealbumin (~2–3 days)
- Retinol-binding protein (~12 hours) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Retinol-binding protein (~12 hours)
Retinol-binding protein's ~12-hour half-life makes it the most sensitive indicator of acute nutritional changes.
Question 4: In motivational interviewing for nutrition counseling, what does OARS stand for?
- Objective Assessment, Review, Summarize
- Open questions, Affirmations, Reflections, Summaries (Correct answer)
- Observe, Analyze, React, Support
- Outcomes, Actions, Results, Solutions
Correct answer: Open questions, Affirmations, Reflections, Summaries
OARS represents the four core communication skills in motivational interviewing used to build rapport and evoke change.
Question 5: What is the FIRST step in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Nutrition Care Process (NCP)?
- Nutrition Intervention
- Nutrition Monitoring and Evaluation
- Nutrition Assessment (Correct answer)
- Nutrition Diagnosis
Correct answer: Nutrition Assessment
Nutrition Assessment is the foundation of the NCP, involving systematic data collection before any diagnosis or intervention.
Question 6: Which body composition method uses electrical resistance to estimate fat mass and fat-free mass?
- Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)
- Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) (Correct answer)
- Hydrostatic weighing
- Skinfold measurements
Correct answer: Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)
BIA measures tissue resistance to a low-level electrical current; lean tissue conducts electricity better than fat tissue.
Which anthropometric measurement best estimates visceral fat and cardiovascular disease risk?