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NCK Licensing Exam (Nursing) Public Health — practice by topic

Browse 25 questions across 2 Public Health topics. Choose what you want to revise, then open a question to check its answer and worked solution.

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Public Health topics

Epidemiology and Outbreak Investigation (17)Immunisation (8)

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In the Greek roots that give epidemiology its name, what does the element demos stand for?Read the answer and worked solution →What distinguishes an analytic epidemiologic study from a purely descriptive one?Read the answer and worked solution →The epidemiologic triad models infectious disease as the interaction of which three elements?Read the answer and worked solution →Among clinically apparent cases of an infection, the proportion that are severe or fatal is measured by which term?Read the answer and worked solution →

Worked practice questions

In the Greek roots that give epidemiology its name, what does the element demos stand for?

  1. On or upon a place
  2. A population of people
  3. The study of a subject
  4. A cause of illness
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Correct answer: B. A population of people

1. The word splits into three Greek parts: epi, demos and logos. 2. Epi means on or upon, and logos means the study of. 3. Demos means people, so the whole word describes the study of what befalls a population. 4. A cause of illness matches no part of the word, since causes are called determinants. _Source: CDC Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health Practice, 3rd Edition, section Definition of Epidemiology_

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What distinguishes an analytic epidemiologic study from a purely descriptive one?

  1. It uses a valid comparison group
  2. It uses a much larger sample of people
  3. It reports rates instead of raw counts
  4. It always requires a laboratory test
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Correct answer: A. It uses a valid comparison group

1. Descriptive epidemiology characterises cases by time, place and person, and generates hypotheses. 2. Testing those hypotheses needs something to compare the cases against. 3. The hallmark of an analytic study is therefore a valid comparison group, such as people who did not fall ill. 4. Sample size, the use of rates and laboratory testing all appear in descriptive work too, so none of them marks the difference. _Source: CDC Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health Practice, 3rd Edition, section Analytic Studies_

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The epidemiologic triad models infectious disease as the interaction of which three elements?

  1. Reservoir, vehicle and vector
  2. Incidence, prevalence and rate
  3. Agent, host and environment
  4. Exposure, outcome and control
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Correct answer: C. Agent, host and environment

1. The triad is the traditional model of causation for infectious disease. 2. Its three corners are an external agent, a susceptible host, and an environment that brings the two together. 3. Reservoir, vehicle and vector belong to the chain of infection rather than the triad. 4. Incidence and prevalence are measures of disease frequency, not causal components. _Source: CDC Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health Practice, 3rd Edition, section Causation_

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