SMLE Community Medicine & Preventive Health 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Following the epidemiological transition in Saudi Arabia, which of the following is now the leading cause of morbidity and mortality?
- Infectious diseases
- Road traffic accidents
- Malignancies
- Cardiovascular diseases (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Cardiovascular diseases
Saudi Arabia has undergone an epidemiological transition; cardiovascular diseases are now the leading cause of death, driven by high rates of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.
Question 2: A family physician counsels a healthy 30-year-old patient to begin regular aerobic exercise to reduce his future risk of cardiovascular disease. This is an example of which level of prevention?
- Primordial prevention
- Primary prevention (Correct answer)
- Secondary prevention
- Tertiary prevention
Correct answer: Primary prevention
Primary prevention reduces risk factors in individuals who are currently healthy but at risk; counseling to exercise prevents the development of disease risk factors.
Question 3: Which of the following epidemiological study designs provides the HIGHEST level of evidence for evaluating therapeutic interventions?
- Case-control study
- Randomized controlled trial (Correct answer)
- Prospective cohort study
- Cross-sectional study
Correct answer: Randomized controlled trial
Randomized controlled trials are the gold standard because randomization controls for both known and unknown confounders, minimizing bias.
Question 4: A 42-year-old male has his BMI calculated as 32.5 kg/m². How is this classified according to WHO criteria?
- Normal weight
- Overweight
- Obese class I (Correct answer)
- Obese class II
Correct answer: Obese class I
According to WHO classification, a BMI of 30.0–34.9 kg/m² is classified as Obese Class I, associated with increased risk of comorbidities.
Question 5: Which of the following diseases receives special surveillance attention in Saudi Arabia particularly because of mass gathering events during Hajj?
- Hepatitis A
- Meningococcal disease (Correct answer)
- Typhoid fever
- Influenza
Correct answer: Meningococcal disease
Meningococcal disease is a mandatory notifiable condition in Saudi Arabia and requires vaccination for all Hajj pilgrims due to the epidemic risk in mass gatherings.
Question 6: A health survey measures the proportion of adults in Riyadh who have hypertension on the day of the survey. This measure is best described as:
- Cumulative incidence
- Incidence density rate
- Point prevalence (Correct answer)
- Period prevalence
Correct answer: Point prevalence
Point prevalence measures the proportion of a population affected by a disease at one specific point in time; surveying on a single day yields point prevalence.
Question 7: At which temperature range should most vaccines in Saudi Arabia's cold chain be maintained to preserve their potency?
- 0°C to 4°C
- -20°C to -15°C
- 15°C to 25°C
- 2°C to 8°C (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 2°C to 8°C
Most vaccines must be stored between 2°C and 8°C (standard refrigerator range); freezing can inactivate many vaccines such as DPT and Hepatitis B.
SMLE Community Medicine & Preventive Health 2
Following the epidemiological transition in Saudi Arabia, which of the following is now the leading cause of morbidity and mortality?