Queens University HLTH 101 Week 3: 1)Though not discussed in the textbook, another finding of the Whitehall I study was that on average, shorter men died earlier than taller men

Queens University

HLTH 101

Week 3:

1)Though not discussed in the textbook, another finding of the Whitehall I study was that on average, shorter men died earlier than taller men. What did the re­ searchers decide was the most likely explanation for this finding? (Remember that the men in this study were enrolled in 1967, and ranged in age from 20­64. This means that they were children in England during the period from 1903 to 1947, which encompasses two World Wars and a period of markedly lower standards of living than contemporary standards.)

Select one:

a.            shorter stature (below genetic potential) can be a reflection of poor nutrition in child­ hood, and thus a marker of low social class and poverty in childhood, which is corre­ lated with increased morbidity and mortality in adulthood

b.            it was probably a statistical error

c.             shorter stature (below genetic potential) can be a reflection of poor eating habits in childhood, which correlates with eating habits in adulthood and thus is a risk factor for

early mortality

d.            shorter stature is probably a reflection of genetics and may be tied to other genetic markers that predisposed the men to an early death

e.            none of the above

2.            The Whitehall I Study, conducted by Dr. Michael Marmot, Select one:

a.            proved that treating high risk individuals is an effective strategy to improve population health

b.            showed that rates of coronary heart disease and various risk factors (such as high blood pressure, obesity, inactivity and smoking )were higher among workers with lower employment grades and that the higher rates of disease could be fully explained by dif­ ferences in risk factors

c.             proved that lifestyle factors, such as smoking, exercise, are the most important fac­ tors in determining individual health status

d.            showed a distinct gradient in health, such that with every increase in employment grade, there was an associated improvement in health

e.            all of the above

3.            According to Geoffrey Rose:

Select one:

a.            if we want to reduce heart disease at the population level, we should screen to find the high risk individuals and then treat them

b.            if we want to reduce heart disease at the population level, we need to lower the popu­ lation average for risk factors

c.             lowering the population average for risk factors for disease will paradoxically have lit­ tle effect on the average individual

d.            the causes of disease are the same at the individual and societal levels e. only (b) and (c)

4.            The British Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher, elected in 1979, chose not to publish the Black Report on health inequalities because:

Select one:

a.            the science used by the committee was flawed

b.            the chair of the working group, Sir Douglas Black, was well­known to be a supporter of the British Labour Party and thus was biased in his opinions

c.             it could not support the recommendations of the report for ideological reasons

d.            it completely contradicted the results of the Whitehall Study, which was more scientifi­ cally sound

e.            only (a) and (b)

5.            Ryan Meili uses Maxine’s story to illustrate that:

Select one:

a.            poverty, abuse, lack of education, discrimination and social exclusion have high costs, for individuals and their families, and for the health care system

b.            if you make the right choices, you can overcome childhood poverty, abuse and lack of education

c.             health care workers shouldn’t put up with abuse and illegal behavior from patients

d.            there is little point providing treatment to those addicted to drugs

e.            all of the above