HTH 231 Midterm Test Questions
and Answers
What is mortality? - Answer- The death rate in a population.
What does the health-wealth gradient show? - Answer- Health improves at every step
up the income and social status ladder.
Why does the U.S. have worse outcomes despite spending the most on healthcare? -
Answer- No universal coverage, high inequality, focus on treatment over prevention,
higher chronic disease rates, and higher maternal and infant mortality.
What are major individual health behaviors? - Answer- Diet, smoking, physical activity,
alcohol use, and drug use.
What is the Social Ecological Model? - Answer- A model showing that health behaviors
are influenced at intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, community, and policy levels.
Why are structural changes more effective than education alone? - Answer- Because
environments shape behavior; people choose what is convenient and visible.
What is weathering? - Answer- Accelerated biological aging caused by chronic
exposure to social and economic stress.
What is the poverty tax? - Answer- Low-income communities often pay more for goods
and services, increasing financial stress and harming health.
What are avoidable deaths? - Answer- Deaths that could be prevented with timely
healthcare or effective public health interventions.
What is the overall big picture of this course? - Answer- Health is shaped by income,
education, race, neighborhood, stress, and policy; medical care alone does not
determine outcomes.
What is the best long-term predictor of health? - Answer- Socioeconomic Status (SES);
wealth affects housing, food access, education, safety, healthcare, and long-term health
outcomes.
and Answers
What is mortality? - Answer- The death rate in a population.
What does the health-wealth gradient show? - Answer- Health improves at every step
up the income and social status ladder.
Why does the U.S. have worse outcomes despite spending the most on healthcare? -
Answer- No universal coverage, high inequality, focus on treatment over prevention,
higher chronic disease rates, and higher maternal and infant mortality.
What are major individual health behaviors? - Answer- Diet, smoking, physical activity,
alcohol use, and drug use.
What is the Social Ecological Model? - Answer- A model showing that health behaviors
are influenced at intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, community, and policy levels.
Why are structural changes more effective than education alone? - Answer- Because
environments shape behavior; people choose what is convenient and visible.
What is weathering? - Answer- Accelerated biological aging caused by chronic
exposure to social and economic stress.
What is the poverty tax? - Answer- Low-income communities often pay more for goods
and services, increasing financial stress and harming health.
What are avoidable deaths? - Answer- Deaths that could be prevented with timely
healthcare or effective public health interventions.
What is the overall big picture of this course? - Answer- Health is shaped by income,
education, race, neighborhood, stress, and policy; medical care alone does not
determine outcomes.
What is the best long-term predictor of health? - Answer- Socioeconomic Status (SES);
wealth affects housing, food access, education, safety, healthcare, and long-term health
outcomes.
