Test Bank
The questions in this section vary considerably in difficulty. For this reason, and
because the amount of detailed information in this edition of Consumer Health is very
large, it may be appropriate to reserve some questions for open-book tests.
Chapter 1. The Health Marketplace
True-False
T 1. Consumer health refers to the economic aspects of health over which
individuals have direct control.
T 2. Health information found in the news media is frequently inaccurate and
misleading.
T 3. Health hucksters often use pseudoscientific approaches to mislead
consumers and to misrepresent products and services.
T 4. Quackery is definable as the promotion of a false or unproven method for
profit.
T 5. Advertisers often persuade people to purchase and use health products that
have little or no value.
T 6. Many Americans use “alternative” health methods.
T 7. The intelligent health consumer is appropriately skeptical of advertising
claims, statements by talk-show guests, and “breakthroughs” reported in
the news media.
T 8. Caveat emptor means “Let the buyer beware.”
T 9. Librarians at most libraries can obtain books and article reprints through
the interlibrary loan process.
F 10. The primary goal of the mass media is public education.
F 11. Few well-educated individuals are victimized by quackery.
F 12. Vitamin supplements make people more energetic.
F 13. Almost all consumers are sufficiently informed to exercise freedom of
choice in the purchase of health products and services.
F 14. Most nursing homes in the United States offer high-quality care.
F 15. People who have severe chronic illnesses are seldom susceptible to
promises of cures by nonscientific health practitioners.
F 16. Consumer protection in the health marketplace is very effective.
1
,Multiple Choice
a 17. Of the following, which is the major function of the mass media?
a. Entertainment
b. Uncovering health frauds
c. Teaching people to be better consumers
d. Promoting science
c 18. All the following are buzzwords commonly used by promoters of quackery
except:
a. holistic.
b. alternative.
c. standard.
d. natural.
e. organically grown.
a 19. Physicians have most often been criticized for:
a. performing unnecessary surgery.
b. overemphasizing education about disease prevention.
c. use of too few drugs.
d. use of too few laboratory tests.
b 20. Health costs constitute what percentage of the US Gross Domestic
Product?
a. About 5%
b. About 13.5%
c. About 18%
d. About twice the rate of inflation
b 21. In 1994, about how many Americans had no health insurance coverage?
a. 10 million
b. 44 million
c. 85 million
d. No data are available.
e. None of the above
e 22. Which of the following has been a major problem in the health
marketplace?
a. Quality of our food supply
b. General quality of medical care
c. Inadequate number of surgeons
2
, d. Overuse of generic drugs
e. Misleading advertising
c 23. Consumer health emphasizes:
a. compliance with medical advice.
b. distrust of medical authorities.
c. avoiding unwise decisions when making health-related purchases.
d. passing a rigorous physical fitness test.
3
, Chapter 2. Separating Fact from Fiction
True-False
T 1. Consumers can have great difficulty determining the reliability of health
information.
T 2. Separating health facts from fiction can be a complex and time-consuming
task.
T 3. Pseudoscientists typically distort scientific evidence to support their
viewpoints.
T 4. Research fraud is unlikely to have a great effect on clinical practice,
because most unusual findings are not widely implemented until
replicated.
T 5. Pseudoscientific courses are often taught at university extension divisions.
T 6. No national organization conducts effective peer review of health news in
newspapers and magazines.
T 7. It is legal to make a false health claim in a book.
T 8. The possibility of profit encourages many publishers to produce books
with unproven health claims.
T 9. Many television talk shows are electronic soapboxes for promoters of
quackery.
T 10. Reliable health information comes primarily from use of the scientific
method.
T 11. Science is a way of thinking as well as a body of facts.
T 12. Conclusions obtained through rigid scientific testing may still be modified
by subsequent findings.
T 13. Statistics is the scientific discipline that uses mathematical principles to
analyze data.
T 14. Much health information circulating in our society is inaccurate.
T 15. Manufacturers often use preliminary research to support increased use of
their products.
T 16. Newspapers often overdramatize health incidents and use misleading
headlines to attract readers.
T 17. The mass media have little influence on consumer health behavior.
F 18. Nutrition consultants with a degree from an unaccredited school are likely
4
The questions in this section vary considerably in difficulty. For this reason, and
because the amount of detailed information in this edition of Consumer Health is very
large, it may be appropriate to reserve some questions for open-book tests.
Chapter 1. The Health Marketplace
True-False
T 1. Consumer health refers to the economic aspects of health over which
individuals have direct control.
T 2. Health information found in the news media is frequently inaccurate and
misleading.
T 3. Health hucksters often use pseudoscientific approaches to mislead
consumers and to misrepresent products and services.
T 4. Quackery is definable as the promotion of a false or unproven method for
profit.
T 5. Advertisers often persuade people to purchase and use health products that
have little or no value.
T 6. Many Americans use “alternative” health methods.
T 7. The intelligent health consumer is appropriately skeptical of advertising
claims, statements by talk-show guests, and “breakthroughs” reported in
the news media.
T 8. Caveat emptor means “Let the buyer beware.”
T 9. Librarians at most libraries can obtain books and article reprints through
the interlibrary loan process.
F 10. The primary goal of the mass media is public education.
F 11. Few well-educated individuals are victimized by quackery.
F 12. Vitamin supplements make people more energetic.
F 13. Almost all consumers are sufficiently informed to exercise freedom of
choice in the purchase of health products and services.
F 14. Most nursing homes in the United States offer high-quality care.
F 15. People who have severe chronic illnesses are seldom susceptible to
promises of cures by nonscientific health practitioners.
F 16. Consumer protection in the health marketplace is very effective.
1
,Multiple Choice
a 17. Of the following, which is the major function of the mass media?
a. Entertainment
b. Uncovering health frauds
c. Teaching people to be better consumers
d. Promoting science
c 18. All the following are buzzwords commonly used by promoters of quackery
except:
a. holistic.
b. alternative.
c. standard.
d. natural.
e. organically grown.
a 19. Physicians have most often been criticized for:
a. performing unnecessary surgery.
b. overemphasizing education about disease prevention.
c. use of too few drugs.
d. use of too few laboratory tests.
b 20. Health costs constitute what percentage of the US Gross Domestic
Product?
a. About 5%
b. About 13.5%
c. About 18%
d. About twice the rate of inflation
b 21. In 1994, about how many Americans had no health insurance coverage?
a. 10 million
b. 44 million
c. 85 million
d. No data are available.
e. None of the above
e 22. Which of the following has been a major problem in the health
marketplace?
a. Quality of our food supply
b. General quality of medical care
c. Inadequate number of surgeons
2
, d. Overuse of generic drugs
e. Misleading advertising
c 23. Consumer health emphasizes:
a. compliance with medical advice.
b. distrust of medical authorities.
c. avoiding unwise decisions when making health-related purchases.
d. passing a rigorous physical fitness test.
3
, Chapter 2. Separating Fact from Fiction
True-False
T 1. Consumers can have great difficulty determining the reliability of health
information.
T 2. Separating health facts from fiction can be a complex and time-consuming
task.
T 3. Pseudoscientists typically distort scientific evidence to support their
viewpoints.
T 4. Research fraud is unlikely to have a great effect on clinical practice,
because most unusual findings are not widely implemented until
replicated.
T 5. Pseudoscientific courses are often taught at university extension divisions.
T 6. No national organization conducts effective peer review of health news in
newspapers and magazines.
T 7. It is legal to make a false health claim in a book.
T 8. The possibility of profit encourages many publishers to produce books
with unproven health claims.
T 9. Many television talk shows are electronic soapboxes for promoters of
quackery.
T 10. Reliable health information comes primarily from use of the scientific
method.
T 11. Science is a way of thinking as well as a body of facts.
T 12. Conclusions obtained through rigid scientific testing may still be modified
by subsequent findings.
T 13. Statistics is the scientific discipline that uses mathematical principles to
analyze data.
T 14. Much health information circulating in our society is inaccurate.
T 15. Manufacturers often use preliminary research to support increased use of
their products.
T 16. Newspapers often overdramatize health incidents and use misleading
headlines to attract readers.
T 17. The mass media have little influence on consumer health behavior.
F 18. Nutrition consultants with a degree from an unaccredited school are likely
4
