1. What is the primary purpose of randomized controlled trials in health care research? - A) To eliminate the need for control groups - B) To ensure equal distribution of confounding variables - C) To speed up the research process - D) To test the efficacy of new treatments Answer: D) To test the efficacy of new treatments Rationale: Randomized controlled trials are designed to test the effectiveness of interventions by randomly assigning participants to either the intervention group or the control group, thus minimizing bias. 2. In a study measuring the impact of a new medication on blood pressure, what type of variable is blood pressure? - A) Independent variable - B) Dependent variable - C) Confounding variable - D) Extraneous variable Answer: B) Dependent variable Rationale: In this context, blood pressure is the outcome being measured and is therefore the dependent variable. The medication would be the independent variable. 3. Which of the following best describes a double-blind study? - A) Both the researchers and the participants are unaware of who is receiving the treatment. - B) Only the participants are unaware of who is receiving the treatment. - C) Only the researchers are unaware of who is receiving the treatment. - D) Both the researchers and the participants are aware of who is receiving the treatment. Answer: A) Both the researchers and the participants are unaware of who is receiving the treatment. Rationale: A double-blind study is designed to prevent bias by ensuring that neither the researchers nor the participants know who has been assigned to the treatment or control groups. 4. What is the significance of p-values in health care research? - A) They indicate the probability that the results occurred by chance