Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is the main focus of epidemiology?
   a) The distribution and determinants of health-related events in a population
   b) Treatment of individual diseases
   c) The psychological impact of diseases
   d) Development of medical technologies

2. Which of the following describes the natural history of disease?
   a) Study of disease prevention
   b) Study of disease transmission
   c) Progression of disease from subclinical stages to recovery or death
   d) Interaction between genetic and environmental factors

3. What type of disease occurs infrequently and irregularly?
   a) Endemic
   b) Sporadic
   c) Epidemic
   d) Pandemic

4. What does an epidemic refer to?
   a) Disease occurrence over several continents
   b) Increase in disease cases above what is expected in a specific population
   c) Usual prevalence of a disease in a population
   d) A sudden but temporary decrease in disease cases

5. Which model of disease causation includes an agent, host, and environment?
   a) Iceberg principle
   b) Web of causation
   c) Epidemiologic triad
   d) Natural history of disease

6. What is the role of the environment in the epidemiologic triad?
   a) It defines the population at risk
   b) It includes all factors that affect the agent and the opportunity for exposure
   c) It solely determines the immunity of the host
   d) It consists of pathogens that cause disease

7. What does the iceberg principle in epidemiology illustrate?
   a) That most disease cases are visible and diagnosed early
   b) That only a small portion of the problem is visible or diagnosed
   c) That the disease is primarily environmental
   d) That all causes of disease are genetic

8. Which of the following is an example of primary prevention?
   a) Chemotherapy
   b) Immunization
   c) Mammography
   d) Rehabilitation

9. What level of prevention involves early detection of disease before signs and symptoms appear?
   a) Primordial prevention
   b) Primary prevention
   c) Secondary prevention
   d) Tertiary prevention

10. Which of the following is an example of tertiary prevention?
    a) Vaccination
    b) Breast self-examination
    c) Chemotherapy
    d) Lifestyle counseling

11. What is the focus of primordial prevention?
    a) Early detection of disease
    b) Preventing exposure to risk factors before they are present
    c) Managing disease after diagnosis
    d) Treating chronic illness

12. Which type of study focuses on describing disease distribution in relation to time, place, and people?
    a) Analytical epidemiology
    b) Experimental epidemiology
    c) Descriptive epidemiology
    d) Cross-sectional study

13. What is the goal of a cross-sectional study?
    a) To test new treatments in a population
    b) To examine the relationship between health problems and variables at a particular point in time
    c) To compare past exposures of people with and without a disease
    d) To describe the progression of disease over time

14. Which of the following studies compares people with a disease to people without it?
    a) Cross-sectional study
    b) Cohort study
    c) Case-control study
    d) Randomized control trial

15. What is the purpose of experimental epidemiology?
    a) To observe natural disease patterns
    b) To describe the frequency of diseases
    c) To test a hypothesis about disease treatment or prevention
    d) To examine retrospective data

16. Which study design involves subjects who are disease-free at the beginning and are followed over time?
    a) Cross-sectional study
    b) Case-control study
    c) Cohort study
    d) Field trials

17. What does event-based surveillance focus on?
    a) Routine reporting of cases
    b) Rapid detection and notification of public events
    c) Monitoring long-term health trends
    d) Retrospective analysis of disease outbreaks

18. What is an example of indirect transmission of disease?
    a) Person-to-person contact
    b) Droplet transmission
    c) Vector-borne transmission
    d) Airborne transmission

19. What is the portal of exit in the chain of infection?
    a) The route through which a pathogen enters the host
    b) The source of the pathogen
    c) The route through which a pathogen leaves the host
    d) The place where pathogens survive

20. What is an example of a susceptible host in the chain of infection?
    a) Someone who is vaccinated
    b) An elderly person with a weakened immune system
    c) A healthy adult
    d) An asymptomatic carrier

21. Which of the following describes the web of causation?
    a) Disease is caused by a single agent
    b) Disease is caused by the interaction of multiple factors
    c) Disease is primarily caused by environmental factors
    d) Disease is determined by individual genetic predisposition

22. Which of the following is a reservoir in the chain of infection?
    a) Hospital surfaces
    b) The pathogen itself
    c) A person who carries the infection
    d) A diagnostic test

23. What does surveillance in epidemiology involve?
    a) Treating individuals with diseases
    b) Monitoring disease distribution and causes
    c) Developing new medical equipment
    d) Identifying genetic risk factors

24. What is an example of primary prevention in a population-based approach?
    a) Individualized treatment plans
    b) Community-wide vaccination programs
    c) Personal hygiene education
    d) Genetic screening

25. What type of epidemiological study uses randomized control trials?
    a) Descriptive
    b) Analytical
    c) Experimental
    d) Cohort

26. What is the role of a susceptible host in the chain of infection?
    a) To provide an environment for pathogen growth
    b) To transmit pathogens to others
    c) To be vulnerable to infection
    d) To spread the disease through contact

27. Which of the following is an example of vehicle transmission?
    a) A mosquito carrying malaria
    b) Contaminated food or water
    c) Sneezing and spreading droplets
    d) Direct skin contact

28. Which type of epidemiological study is retrospective and compares cases with controls?
    a) Descriptive
    b) Cohort
    c) Cross-sectional
    d) Case-control

29. What type of prevention would advising parents to quit smoking to protect their children fall under?
    a) Primordial prevention
    b) Primary prevention
    c) Secondary prevention
    d) Tertiary prevention

30. In which type of study would the entire community be involved in testing an intervention?
    a) Cross-sectional study
    b) Community trial
    c) Case-control study
    d) Cohort study

Answer Key

1. a

2. c

3. b

4. b

5. c

6. b

7. b

8. b

9. c

10. c

11. b

12. c

13. b

14. c

15. c

16. c

17. b

18. c

19. c

20. b

21. b

22. c

23. b

24. b

25. c

26. c

27. b

28. d

29. a

30. b