Question 1

Which of the following best describes the main advantage of experimental (interventional) studies over observational studies in nutrition research?

Accepted Answer

They can establish cause-and-effect relationships.

Question 2

A researcher wants to investigate whether a new dietary supplement reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. She recruits 1,000 healthy adults, randomly assigns half to receive the supplement and half to receive a placebo, and follows them for 5 years. What type of study is this?

Accepted Answer

Randomized controlled trial

Question 3

Which of the following is a key limitation of retrospective case-control studies in nutrition research?

Accepted Answer

They rely on participants' memory of past exposures, which can introduce recall bias.

Question 4

A study reports a relative risk (RR) of 0.7 for heart disease in people who consume high-fiber diets compared to those who do not. What does this mean?

Accepted Answer

High-fiber diets decrease the risk of heart disease by 30%.

Question 5

Which of the following p-values would be considered statistically significant in most nutrition studies?

Accepted Answer

$0.03$

Question 6

A 95% confidence interval (CI) for an odds ratio (OR) is reported as $0.8$ $(0.6-1.2)$. What can you conclude?

Accepted Answer

The result is not statistically significant because the CI includes 1.

Question 7

Which of the following is an example of an anthropometric method for assessing nutritional status?

Accepted Answer

Measuring height and weight

Question 8

A nutritionist wants to assess the dietary intake of a group of athletes over the past month. Which method would provide the most accurate data but be the most difficult to maintain?

Accepted Answer

Food diary (food record)

Question 9

Which of the following best describes a primary source in nutrition research?

Accepted Answer

A peer-reviewed journal article reporting original research data

Question 10

A study funded by a national beef producers’ association reports health benefits of red meat. What is the main concern when interpreting these results?

Accepted Answer

The study may be biased due to the funding source.

Question 11

Which of the following best describes the purpose of randomization in experimental studies?

Accepted Answer

To eliminate bias and balance confounding factors between groups

Question 12

A meta-analysis combines data from several randomized controlled trials and reports a hazard ratio (HR) of $1.5$ $(1.2-1.8)$ for developing hypertension with high sodium intake. What does this mean?

Accepted Answer

High sodium intake is associated with a 50% increased risk of hypertension, and the result is statistically significant.

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT a criterion for evaluating the reliability of a nutrition website using the ABCD method?

Accepted Answer

Blinding

Question 14

A scientist observes that people living near the ocean have a lower incidence of goiter. She hypothesizes that a compound in seaweed is responsible. What is the next step in the scientific method?

Accepted Answer

Test the hypothesis with an experiment

Question 15

Which of the following best describes the difference between a cohort study and a case-control study?

Accepted Answer

Cohort studies follow healthy subjects over time, while case-control studies start with diseased and healthy subjects and look back at exposures.

Question 16

A study reports a p-value of $0.06$ for the effect of a new diet on cholesterol levels. According to standard interpretation, what does this mean?

Accepted Answer

The result is on the edge of significance but not statistically significant.

Question 17

Which of the following is a secondary source in nutrition science?

Accepted Answer

A systematic review published in a peer-reviewed journal

Question 18

Which of the following best describes the field of nutrigenomics?

Accepted Answer

The study of how nutrients affect gene expression and how genetic variation affects nutritional needs

Question 19

Which of the following organizations is considered a credible source for nutrition information?

Accepted Answer

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND)

Question 20

A clinical trial reports a risk ratio (RR) of $1.0$ $(0.8-1.2)$ for the effect of a vitamin supplement on cancer risk. What is the correct interpretation?

Accepted Answer

There is no statistically significant effect of the supplement on cancer risk.

Nutrition and the Scientific Method: Foundations for Evidence-Based Practice

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