Public Health Nursing & Epidemiology – Exam Review

A comprehensive set of Q&A flashcards covering core public-health nursing concepts, epidemiologic principles, prevention levels, PHNAT components, advocacy and collaboration, health determinants, and key definitions for exam preparation.

Which school-based food option is an environmental factor that can contribute to childhood obesity?

High-calorie cafeteria meals.

In the PHNAT section “Policy & Interventions—Assess,” what community aspect must the public health nurse describe?

Political issues in the community.

Name the three core functions of public health.

Assessment, Policy Development, and Assurance.

Which of the 10 Essential Public Health Services best summarizes the group as a whole?

All 10 services collectively describe the full scope of essential public health practice.

In the 7 A’s of Access to Care, which concept is NOT included?

Abundant services.

Descriptive epidemiology answers which questions and intentionally excludes which one?

It answers Who, What, When, and Where, but NOT Why.

Working with the Board of Education and local farmers to improve school meals illustrates advocacy at what level?

The System level.

What epidemiologic measure is commonly referred to as the death rate?

Mortality rate.

From a Clinical Perspective (single episode), what is of primary interest to caregivers?

The individual’s diagnosis, treatment, and immediate outcomes (i.e., the entire clinical encounter).

From an Epidemiologist Perspective (multiple episodes), what is of primary interest?

Patterns, causes, and control of diseases across populations and time.

According to PHNAT, which item is NOT assessed in the Social Environment section?

Community boundaries.

According to PHNAT, what is one element included in the Physical Environment narrative description?

Home assessment of individuals, clients, and families.

Give one reason why Access and Adaptability to technology are important in public health nursing.

They improve quality of care by allowing nurses to use up-to-date tools and information to serve populations.

Which rate increases 1.5 times for people who fail to meet minimum physical-activity guidelines?

The risk of cardiovascular disease.

Immunization is an example of which level of prevention?

Primary prevention.

Early diagnosis and prompt treatment belong to which level of prevention?

Secondary prevention.

Rehabilitation to maximize remaining capacities belongs to which level of prevention?

Tertiary prevention.

What is the minimum recommended daily aerobic activity for children and adolescents?

At least 60 minutes per day, including vigorous activity on 3 or more days a week.

How many deaths worldwide per year are attributed to physical inactivity, according to WHO (2002)?

About 17 million deaths.

Failure to meet physical-activity recommendations cost the U.S. approximately how much in medical expenses in the year 2000?

About $75 billion.

People who are physically active in the U.S. save an estimated how much per year in healthcare costs (1998 data)?

$500 per person.

Which cancer is LEAST likely to be caused by smoking: lung cancer, bladder cancer, cervical cancer, or chickenpox?

Chickenpox (smoking is not a known cause).

Identify one incorrect statement about smoking that is often cited.

Smoking is a main cause of liver cancer (this is incorrect; primary liver cancers are more strongly linked to hepatitis and alcohol).

Circle the incorrect disease in the list of chronic conditions reduced by physical activity: heart disease, diabetes, Kaposi’s sarcoma, stroke.

Kaposi’s sarcoma.

What quotation about the antiquity of public health practice is attributed to J. Howard Beard?

“Public health work is as old as history.”

In which edition of Healthy People were national health goals first formally set?

Healthy People 2010.

Low health literacy in the United States is projected to have what overall impact on public health outcomes?

It is expected to decline public health outcomes over the next decade.

Name the six broad categories that influence the success of collaboration; give one example.

Environment, Process & Structure, (plus four others); e.g., a supportive Environment fosters successful collaboration.

What are two core components every mission statement should contain?

A program overview and a clear program aim.

Which two 7 A’s concepts are most directly related to the physical location of services?

Accessibility and Availability.

Define Epidemiology in one sentence.

The scientific discipline that studies the distribution and determinants of health, disease, and injury in populations.

Define Prevalence.

The total number of existing cases of a disease or condition in a population at a specified time divided by the total population.

Define Ethnocentrism.

Judging other cultures by the standards of one’s own culture, viewing one’s own norms as the only right way.

Define Xenophobia.

A conscious fear or dislike of foreigners or strangers.

Define Social Marketing in a public-health context.

Use of commercial marketing principles and technology to influence knowledge, values, beliefs, and behaviors for the public good.

What are the three components of the classic Epidemiologic Triad?

Agent, Host, and Environment.

According to BMI categories, what is the numeric range for normal weight in adults?

BMI 18.5 – 24.9.

Name one health determinant category that includes ‘workplace.’

The social and economic environment.

Which health determinant category includes individual drug-abuse behaviors?

A person’s individual characteristics and behaviors.

What public-health nursing skill involves accurately noticing and interpreting community conditions?

Observation and environmental assessment.

Part 5 of the PHNAT tool is entitled what?

Reflection.

Which two elements make up 'Collective Action' alongside community organizing?

Collaboration and consultation.

List any two of the six stages in the Transtheoretical Model (TTM).

Precontemplation, Contemplation (others include Preparation, Action, Maintenance, and Termination).

What is the primary goal of counseling ('Working it out') in public health nursing?

To help individuals, families, or communities clarify issues, explore alternatives, and make informed health decisions.

Give an example of collaboration at the community-focused level.

A public health nurse partnering with parents, teachers, and local farmers to add fresh vegetables to school cafeterias.

Which statement summarizes the key features of public health practice?

Focus on populations, prevention, and conditions influencing health (i.e., all answers are correct).

Policy Development & Enforcement activities typically include what three actions?

Creating policies, implementing them, and ensuring compliance.

Protection against occupational hazards falls under which level of prevention?

Primary prevention.

Name one major modifiable risk factor for diabetes.

Obesity (others: physical inactivity, poor diet, etc.).

By what multiple did childhood overweight and obesity increase in many developing countries between the 1980s and 1990s?

Up to an eightfold increase.

How many cigarettes define a 'former smoker' according to many U.S. surveys?

Anyone who has smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime.

What does the acronym PHNAT stand for?

Public Health Nursing Assessment Tool.

Which element is assessed under PHNAT when a nurse checks sidewalks and playgrounds?

The Physical Environment.

John Graunt’s historic Bills of Mortality contributed to what modern field?

Vital statistics and epidemiology.

COVID-19 is classified by WHO as what type of outbreak?

A pandemic.

What are databases in the context of public health informatics?

Organized systems that store data and allow easy access and retrieval.

Give one example of a ritual that anthropologists might study in relation to culture and health.

Shaking hands when greeting someone.

Which two broad environments does the workplace straddle as a health determinant?

The social and economic environment, and the physical environment.

Finish the quote: 'Public health nursing is a systematic process by which the health and the health-care needs of a population are …'

… assessed, prioritized, intervened upon, and evaluated (i.e., all answers are right).

How does low health literacy specifically impede public health efforts?

It limits individuals’ ability to understand health information, leading to poorer outcomes and higher costs.

Name one incorrect pairing in the Epidemiologic Triad given in class (Agent, Host, Infection). What should replace 'Infection'?

Environment should replace 'Infection.'

What is the primary purpose of social marketing in public health campaigns?

To influence behaviors for the benefit of individuals and society.

Which prevention level aims to 'turn the affected individual to a useful place in society'?

Tertiary prevention (rehabilitation).

According to WHO, nearly what proportion of lung cancers are attributable to smoking?

About 90 % (9 out of 10).

Why are public health nurses well-suited for community-based participatory research?

They build on principles such as trust, mutual benefit, shared power, and respect for community knowledge.