DND101 Ch2 Study Guide

Epidemiologists often rely on _____ people to obtain health data.

- physical examinations of - surveys of

Which of the following is true about control groups?

The results of an experiment are unclear or inaccurate if no control group is used.

The second step in the scientific method is developing a(n) _____.

hypothesis

Researchers from Cornell University have written a manuscript about the impact of soy consumption on breast cancer risk. Which of the following people is best qualified to be a peer reviewer of the manuscript before it is published?

A researcher from the University of Illinois who specializes in soy research, but did not collaborate on the study

Experimental epidemiological studies utilize

- a control group - a treatment group

If an experiment fails to control for variables that are not being tested by using a control group, the findings of the experiment will be ______.

- inaccurate - questionable

List the events prior to the publishing of experimental results in scientific journals.

- subject-matter experts ensure objective research findings are published - critical review by other subject-matter experts

A(n) ______ is a report of personal experiences.

Anecdote

A group of people that serves as subjects in an experiment but do not receive a treatment is called a(n) _____ group.

Control

A valid experiment requires both a treatment and _____ group.

Control

National standards for height, weight, and blood pressure are established using data from _____ research findings (use abbreviation to answer this question).

NHANES

In a ____ study, epidemiologists collect and analyze various kinds of information about a large group of people over time.

cohort

A factor that may not be studied but may affect a research outcome is called a _____ variable.

confounding

A ______ is a relationship between two variables.

correlation

An anecdote ______ considered scientific evidence.

is not

Choose an example of a nutrient deficiency disease.

lack of niacin leading to pellagra

Cohort studies can be retrospective or _______.

prospective

Prior to publishing the results of an experiment, ______.

the results and analysis are peer-reviewed by other subject matter experts

A control group is important for which of the following reasons.

- it is important to the validity and accuracy of an experiment - it allows scientists to determine if a treatment had an effect - it enables scientists to control the influence of control variables unrelated to the study

A(n) _____ is a systematic way of testing a hypothesis.

Experiment

A(n) ______ is a factor, such as a person's age, weight, or environment, that can change and influence an outcome.

Variable

A scientific procedure undertaken to make a discovery, test a hypothesis, or demonstrate a known fact is called a(n) _____.

experiment

Who are the subjects in a case-control study?

- person(s) with the disease or condition under investigation - person(s) without the disease or condition under investigation

A physician names Joseph Goldberger discovered that the disease pellagra was related to

Diet

Which of the following is true about a case-control study?

Individuals with a health condition are matched with individuals without the condition but with similar characteristics.

What is the first step in the scientific method?

Observation of a natural phenomenon

A limitation of observational studies is that nutrition scientists can only look for a ______ between variables and health outcomes.

correlation

It is easier to _____.

disprove a hypothesis as being untrue than to verify one as true

Studies that can illustrate differences in dietary patterns among populations and can lead to additional experiments that may be able to test the cause of the disease process are called ______.

epidemiological

A researcher that studies the frequency of diabetes in Pacific Islanders, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic African-American adults is conducting _____ research.

epidemiology

The study of dietary and disease patterns among various populations is referred to as ______.

epidemiology

Nutrition scientists conduct ______ epidemiological studies to obtain information about health conditions that may result from specific dietary practices.

experimental

What type of study has very few confounding variables?

test tube studies

In vivo animal studies must be interpreted carefully because

there are physiological differences between humans and other animals.

A process that tests a hypothesis in order to generate a conclusion, which can be reported and then confirmed or refuted by additional studies, is called the ______ method.

Scientific

Why do nutritionist recommendations change?

Scientists change their recommendations in light of new research findings

Which terms best describe marketing a product with a personal endorsement?

Testimonial

Scientists expect researchers to avoid relying on their personal attitudes and ______ when selecting participants for research and collecting and analyzing data.

bias

Which of the following occurs after the completion of an experiment?

- scientists summarize the findings - scientists figure out if the findings support or disprove the hypothesis - scientists seek to publish the results in scientific journals

What are some important questions to ask when evaluating the legitimacy of nutrition information?

- where does the information originate? - does the author have reliable credentials? - what motivates the author?

A website that is authored or sponsored by one person tends to provide ____ information.

biased

______ is a disease that was widespread in the United States during the early 1900s. People with this disease dealt with weakness, diarrhea, skin rashes, and mental confusion.

Pellagra

Choose the descriptions that accurately define the scientific method.

- testing a hypothesis in order to draw an evidence-based conclusion - educated guess about the relationship between a variable and an outcome - a procedure designed to discover reproducible results

An infomercial for a new weight-loss supplement claims that the medical community has been keeping this formula secret for decades and features the testimonials of an ex-baseball player and a prominent pop music star, who say they lost 12 pounds in the first two weeks. Should you try this supplement?

No