Question 1

Which of the following statements is false?

Accepted Answer

A)  Physical activity has most commonly been measured using questionnaires in epidemiology 
B)  Questionnaires systematically underestimate MVPA compared with accelerometers 
C)  Inaccuracy of questionnaire-based measures of physical activity may attenuate relationships between physical activity and health-related outcomes 
D)  Accelerometers can measure dynamic accelerations and body posture in real time B

Question 2

How many additional years could an active/fit individual expect to live by avoiding premature mortality compared with an inactive/unfit individual?

Accepted Answer

A)  0.5-1.5 years 
B)  1.5-4 years 
C)  4-5.5 years 
D)  5.5-8 years B

Question 3

Which of the following is the most fundamental limitation of studies linking physical inactivity to an increased risk of mortality?

Accepted Answer

A)  Lack of randomised controlled trials 
B)  Lack of control of pre-existing illness 
C)  Measurements of mortality are often inaccurate 
D)  Physical activity has been assessed using questionnaires and these may be inaccurate A

Question 4

In epidemiology, what is meant by 'confounding'?

Accepted Answer

A)  Distortion of the effect of an exposure on disease because of systematic error 
B)  Introduction of a systematic error into results because of selection bias 
C)  Distortion of the effect of an exposure on disease because a third factor associated with the exposure independently affects the risk of developing the disease 
D)  A finding due to chance or the 'luck of the draw'

Question 5

What type of study is the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study?

Accepted Answer

A)  Case-control 
B)  Prospective cohort 
C)  Randomised controlled trial 
D)  Cross-sectional survey

Question 6

According to the meta-analysis by Kodama et al. (2009), what is the mortality rate associated with each 1 MET increase in cardiorespiratory fitness?

Accepted Answer

A)  5% lower 
B)  48% lower 
C)  13% lower 
D)  22% lower

Question 7

Which statistic quantifies the proportion of individuals in a population that exhibits the outcome of interest at a specified time?

Accepted Answer

A)  Relative risk 
B)  Incidence 
C)  Prevalence 
D)  Population-attributable risk

Question 8

What does the unit called the 'MET' measure?

Accepted Answer

A)  Total volume of physical activity 
B)  Intensity of physical activity relative to the individual 
C)  Intensity of physical activity relative to V̇O2max reserve 
D)  Intensity of physical activity in multiples of the resting metabolic rate

Question 9

Which of the following statements is false?

Accepted Answer

A)  The risk of premature mortality is lower in individuals who become more active over time than those who remain inactive 
B)  The strength of association with mortality is stronger for cardiorespiratory fitness than physical activity 
C)  The risk of mortality associated with high levels of sitting can be attenuated by being sufficiently active 
D)  Higher levels of physical activity abolish the adverse effects of obesity on mortality

Question 10

Why is the association between television viewing and mortality thought to be stronger than the association between overall sitting time and mortality?

Accepted Answer

A)  Television viewing can be more accurately recalled than overall sitting time 
B)  Television viewing is linked to the clustering of other risk factors for mortality 
C)  Television viewing is more commonly measured than overall sitting time 
D)  Television viewing is associated with a lower energy expenditure than overall sitting time per unit of time

Exam 2: Physical Activity, Mortality and the Nature of the Evidence

Which of the following statements is false?

How many additional years could an active/fit individual expect to live by avoiding premature mortality compared with an inactive/unfit individual?

Which of the following is the most fundamental limitation of studies linking physical inactivity to an increased risk of mortality?

In epidemiology, what is meant by 'confounding'?

What type of study is the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study?

According to the meta-analysis by Kodama et al. (2009) , what is the mortality rate associated with each 1 MET increase in cardiorespiratory fitness?

Which statistic quantifies the proportion of individuals in a population that exhibits the outcome of interest at a specified time?

What does the unit called the 'MET' measure?

Which of the following statements is false?

Why is the association between television viewing and mortality thought to be stronger than the association between overall sitting time and mortality?