Discrete Practice Questions

Consult your online resources for additional practice.

1. Which of the following best describes the component of socioeconomic status attributable to direct individual efforts?

   1. Ascribed status
   2. Meritocratic competition
   3. Anomic condition
   4. Achieved status

2. Which of the following displays a correct association?

   1. High social networking and low social capital
   2. High social mobility and low social capital
   3. Low social class and low social capital
   4. Low social networking and high social capital

3. Which of the following concepts are LEAST likely to coincide?

   1. Hazardous waste facilities and low-income neighborhoods
   2. Tuberculosis and poor living conditions
   3. Environmental pollution and high minority population
   4. Globalization and global equality

4. Which of the following trends is most likely FALSE?

   1. Mortality rates are increased in low-income racial and ethnic minorities.
   2. Life expectancy is decreased in high-income groups.
   3. Birth weights are decreased in children of low-income women.
   4. Rates of lung cancer are increased in low-income groups.

5. Questions 5–6 refer to the scenario described below.

6. A small town has 1000 residents, including 500 men and 500 women. In this town, 20 of the men have prostate cancer. During a calendar year, 10 more men are diagnosed with prostate cancer. Assume none of the men are cured or die during the year.

5. What is the prevalence of prostate cancer in this population at the end of the year?

   1. 10 ÷ 480
   2. 10 ÷ 1000
   3. 20 ÷ 500
   4. 30 ÷ 1000

6. What is the incidence of prostate cancer in this population during the year?

   1. 10 ÷ 480
   2. 10 ÷ 1000
   3. 20 ÷ 500
   4. 30 ÷ 1000

7. A low-income single mother works a part-time job and lives in a small apartment in the city. When her children grow up, they take similar jobs and live in similar housing. This is an example of:

   1. upward social mobility.
   2. downward social mobility.
   3. social exclusion.
   4. social reproduction.

8. Which of the following is true with regard to relative poverty?

   1. Individuals in relative poverty have incomes below the poverty line.
   2. Individuals in relative poverty exhibit downward social mobility.
   3. Individuals in relative poverty may be in the upper class.
   4. Individuals in relative poverty exhibit upward social mobility.

9. In comparison to urban centers, suburbs tend to have:

   1. larger racial and ethnic minority populations.
   2. higher rates of poverty.
   3. larger upper- and middle-class populations.
   4. higher rates of crime and homicide.

10. Which of the following terms refers to the burden or degree of disease associated with a given illness?

    1. Morbidity
    2. Mortality
    3. Second sickness
    4. Chronicity

11. Compared to white Americans, which of the following racial or ethnic groups tends to have a better overall health profile?

    1. African Americans
    2. Asian Americans
    3. Hispanic Americans
    4. Native Americans

12. Which of the following best describes the populations targeted by Medicare and Medicaid, respectively?

    1. Medicare: mostly patients without employer-guaranteed healthcare; Medicaid: mostly patients who have recently immigrated
    2. Medicare: mostly patients who have recently immigrated; Medicaid: mostly patients without employer-guaranteed healthcare
    3. Medicare: mostly patients in older age groups; Medicaid: mostly patients with low socioeconomic status
    4. Medicare: mostly patients with low socioeconomic status; Medicaid: mostly patients in older age groups

13. Morbidity is increased in low-income groups because of all of the following EXCEPT:

    1. higher rates of obesity.
    2. less access to healthcare.
    3. higher rates of homicide.
    4. lower rates of physical activity.

14. Hypertension (high blood pressure) can be diagnosed by having two or more blood pressure readings higher than 140/90 on two different occasions, separated by a week. Suppose that the criteria were changed to include anyone with a reading higher than 130/80 on at least one occasion. How would this change the prevalence of diagnosed hypertension in the population?

    1. The prevalence would increase.
    2. The prevalence would decrease.
    3. The prevalence would remain the same.
    4. There is not enough information to determine the change in prevalence.

15. Which of the following trends regarding healthcare disparities has NOT been documented?

    1. Females are more likely to be insured than males.
    2. Primary care use is more likely among males than females.
    3. Low-income individuals have more difficulty accessing care than high-income individuals.
    4. LGBT individuals have more barriers to healthcare than heterosexuals.