Question 1

After studying the story of Foua Yang and her daughter Lia,what might a sociologist say to doctors serving in cross-cultural settings?

Accepted Answer

A)  Medical conditions and treatment must be explained in basic terms that the patient can understand. 
B)  Medical conditions can be interpreted in different ways,and these differences are not easily reconciled. 
C)  It is better for patients to make health care decisions themselves,because when families get involved,it becomes too complicated. 
D)  Grief is long-lasting.

Question 2

Why aren't antibiotics as successful in treating illnesses as they were several years ago?

Accepted Answer

A)  Fewer physicians are now prescribing antibiotics. 
B)  Individuals have developed allergies to them. 
C)  Antibiotics are not as available as they were in the past. 
D)  Bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics.

Question 3

Physicians in ancient Rome tended to have lower prestige.This was because:

Accepted Answer

A)  only lower-status people got ill. 
B)  most were men. 
C)  the surgeons evolved from barbers. 
D)  they were seen as evildoers by the nobility.

Question 4

Melinda is a woman with advanced diabetes who no longer works or performs household tasks for her family.Her husband and children work to support the household and care for her.She won't take insulin and won't change her diet because she says she is too sick.Using Talcott Parson's role theory,we can see that Melinda is:

Accepted Answer

A)  living out the sick role according to the theory. 
B)  living out part of the sick role,but failing to meet her obligation to comply with doctor's orders. 
C)  an exception to the sick role,because her condition is congenital. 
D)  creating psychological "sickness" in her family,as the theory predicts.

Question 5

Hypertension is directly related to stress,which can be attributed to being poor.However,poor African Americans in the United States have rates of hypertension that are similar to middle- and upper-class African Americans.What could explain this?

Accepted Answer

A)  Socioeconomic status is not as strongly related to health as sociologists once believed. 
B)  Hypertension is not really related to stress. 
C)  African Americans have a genetic predisposition for hypertension. 
D)  Even middle- and upper-class African Americans may still experience discrimination.

Question 6

Tamara is a medical doctor who is driving to the park.On her way,she passes by the scene of an accident.In U.S.society,the expectation is that Tamara has:

Accepted Answer

A)  the option to stop and help,or not,as her conscience dictates. 
B)  a legal requirement to stop and help. 
C)  a moral obligation to stop and try to help. 
D)  a moral obligation to call 911.

Question 7

Dr.Raman is a family practice physician with a degree from Sunshine University.He makes potions of sunshine and water in his kitchen and sells them as "Health,Guaranteed!" All the other medical doctors in town say Dr.Raman is no good,but he doesn't care.All he cares about is the happiness of his patients (and his sales).Because he serves clients at the expense of the esteem of his professional peers,Dr.Raman is known to sociologists as:

Accepted Answer

A)  a pseudo-professional. 
B)  a homegrown doctor. 
C)  a quack. 
D)  a faker.

Question 8

Around the 1990s,physicians' authority began to decline for several reasons,one of which was that more physicians were associated with health maintenance organizations (HMOs).This meant that:

Accepted Answer

A)  there were changes in the way we paid for care. 
B)  doctors were always paid per treatment rather than per patient. 
C)  doctors were allowed to work only four days per week. 
D)  doctors were not allowed to make more than the owner of the HMO.

Question 9

Married people tend to live longer than unmarried people.It could be that they take better care of themselves when they have the responsibility of a family.It could also be that:

Accepted Answer

A)  people who are healthier are more likely to get married. 
B)  people who are married have less sex,so they are less likely to contract sexually transmitted infections. 
C)  unmarried people are more likely to travel to areas of the world where there are higher rates of diseases. 
D)  unmarried people are less likely to have sex and are therefore more depressed,leading to physical ailments.

Question 10

The fee-for-service system caused a situation where physicians could determine the number of (often unnecessary)visits required for treatment.This problem was called:

Accepted Answer

A)  self-regulation. 
B)  fraud. 
C)  supplier-induced demand. 
D)  prescription authority.

Question 11

After 1990,nurse practitioners began treating patients more widely and gained authorization to prescribe medications.This trend allows more patients to be treated more quickly,but what is one of its unintended consequences?

Accepted Answer

A)  reduced funding for medical doctor education programs 
B)  doctors having less authority 
C)  better primary care,but reduced quality of care for complicated illness 
D)  patients diagnosing themselves with Internet research

Question 12

After mental illness became "medicalized," what was one major change that occurred?

Accepted Answer

A)  Medication replaced counseling. 
B)  Insurance companies started paying for face-to-face treatment. 
C)  Therapy and medications went hand in hand. 
D)  Mental illness decreased with the use of medications.

Question 13

When looking at health globally,how do water quality and waterborne illnesses affect the health of poorer countries? What are some issues we are facing in conquering bacterial infectious diseases such as malaria,tuberculosis,and gonorrhea? What role,if any,should the United States play in helping poorer nations get access to safer drinking water and eradicating malaria and other diseases?

Accepted Answer

The answer of When looking at health globally,how do water...

Question 14

Race and ethnicity influence health,and so does socioeconomic status (SES).How do sociologists explain the association between race/ethnicity and health? How does SES influence that association (that is,does high SES always predict greater health and longevity,regardless of race/ethnicity)?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Race and ethnicity influence health,and so does...

Question 15

When Susie takes up smoking,the cost of her insurance coverage goes up.This is a result of:

Accepted Answer

A)  risk insurance. 
B)  risk adjustment. 
C)  a clerical error. 
D)  risk adversity.

Question 16

Which of the following was the result of medical licensing that began in the mid-1800s?

Accepted Answer

A)  It led to the infiltration of market forces into medicine. 
B)  It gave physicians more economic clout. 
C)  It created markets for alternative forms of medicine,such as homeopathy. 
D)  It allowed women and racial minorities to become physicians.

Question 17

What did Barry Bogin find was different in the Mayans' lifestyle that allowed them to grow 4 inches taller in the United States than in Guatemala?

Accepted Answer

A)  They tended to be born to older mothers. 
B)  They tended to be born to younger,healthier mothers. 
C)  They had access to a better diet. 
D)  They were less likely to have sex during their teen years.

Question 18

When Marie becomes a medical doctor and sets up her office for the first time,she sets her desk in a manner so it is between her and the patient.It just seems like the right thing to do.Sociologists study this practice and see that it:

Accepted Answer

A)  is a practicality that doesn't have sociological significance. 
B)  encourages patients to conduct themselves professionally. 
C)  establishes the power of the doctor. 
D)  undermines care by making patients feel that they are in school.

Question 19

Asians tend to have lower infant mortality rates than other minority groups in the United States.This is most likely attributable to:

Accepted Answer

A)  socioeconomic status. 
B)  low birth weight. 
C)  lower incidences of HIV. 
D)  having fewer children overall.

Question 20

What did Mechanic and Meyer find to be the most important factor for patients in rating their doctor?

Accepted Answer

A)  technical competence 
B)  medical competence 
C)  interpersonal confidence 
D)  dress and facial expression

Exam 11: Health and Society