Descriptive Epi Measures Questions

1. A school nurse conducted a small study with 10 students to assess the presence or absence of cold symptoms at baseline (day 0) and each of the 10 subsequent days. The letter C in the table below indicates, for each student, when cold symptoms (C) were identified by the school nurse.
What was the incidence of new colds in these 10 students during the entire time period of observation?
– 7/10
– 5/10
– 5/8
– 5/7

2. What was the period prevalence of colds in these 10 students during the entire time period of observation?
– 7/10
– 5/10
– 5/8
– 5/7

3. What was the incidence of new colds through and including day 4?
– 3/8
– 5/8
– 3/10
– 5/10

4. What was the point prevalence of colds on day 4?
– 5/7
– 5/8
– 5/10
– 5

5. What was the point prevalence of colds on day 6?
– 3/8
– 6/8
– 3/10
– 6/10

6. What was the period prevalence of colds from day 2 through and including day 6?
– 5/8
– 6/8
– 5/10
– 6/10

7. Which of the following should be considered in assessing changes in mortality due to a specific disease?
– Changes in diagnostic criteria
– Changes in age distribution
– Changes in coding
– All of the above

8. Assuming there is a treatment for a condition that prolongs survival without curing it, and that other factors remain unchanged, which of the following statements would be true.
– Prevalence will decrease
– Prevalence will increase
– Incidence will increase
– Incidence will decrease

9. Please refer to Table 1 to answer questions 11 through 15..
POPULATION A
Age Range          # Population    # Deaths             Death Rate
<20                         50,000                   50
2065                     30,000                   60
>65                         20,000                   200

POPULATION B
Age Range          # Population    # Deaths             Death Rate
<20                         25,000                   25
2065                     25,000                   50
>65                         50,000                   500
Table 1. Deaths by age group, Population A and Population B.

Referencing Table 1, what was the crude (overall) death rate per 100,000 for area A?
– 31
– 57.5
– 200
– 310

10. Referencing Table 1, what was the crude (overall) death rate per 100,000 for area B?
– 57.5
– 310
– 500
– 575

11. Referencing Table 1, what was the age-specific death rate per 100,000 in area A for those 2065 years?
– 50
– 60
– 200
– 500

12. Referencing Table 1, using the distribution of the sum of the two populations as the standard population, what was the adjusted death rate per 100,000 for area A?
– 425
– 443
– 532
– 885

13. Referencing Table 1, using the distribution of the sum of the two populations as the standard population, what was the adjusted death rate per 100,000 for area B?
– 425
– 443
– 532
– 885

14. In an outbreak of botulism there were 50 cases identified (26 in males and 24 in females). A total of 13 deaths (8 in males and 5 in females) were attributed to this outbreak. The case fatality rate among males was:
– 10%
– 16%
– 26%
– 30.8%