Public Health Nursing Practice Exam

Which community-based intervention showed equally favorable health risk changes in both control and treatment groups?

1. Framingham Heart Study

2. Stanford Heart Disease Prevention Program

3. North Karelia Study

4. Minnesota Heart Health Program

The correct answer is: Minnesota Heart Health Program

The Minnesota Heart Health Program is known for its community-based intervention that aimed to reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors through various strategies, including education, behavioral change, and policy modification. It is noteworthy that this program was structured to assess the impact of lifestyle changes on health outcomes in both the treatment and control groups, revealing favorable health risk changes in both populations. This outcome highlights how broad public health strategies can transcend typical intervention frameworks, leading to beneficial changes in health behaviors across diverse groups, regardless of direct exposure to the specific intervention. In contrast, other studies mentioned, like the Framingham Heart Study and the North Karelia Study, were designed with different methodologies and targeted populations, focusing more on specific interventions or unique community characteristics, which did not yield the same results in both groups. For example, the Framingham Heart Study primarily contributed to the understanding of cardiovascular risk factors through observational research rather than direct community interventions. Similarly, the North Karelia Study had a strong emphasis on intervention effects but did not account for equally favorable outcomes in both control and treatment groups. The Stanford Heart Disease Prevention Program, while successful, also focused on targeted interventions that might not have shown comparable benefits across untreated populations. Overall, the Minnesota Heart Health Program stands out for demonstrating changes in