Malnutrition and its prevention strategies MCQs With Answer

Malnutrition — including undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and overnutrition — profoundly affects patient outcomes, drug response, and public health. For B. Pharm students, mastering malnutrition and its prevention strategies is essential: topics include nutritional assessment (BMI, MUAC, serum markers), common deficiencies (iron, vitamin A, iodine), dietary interventions, supplementation, food fortification, breastfeeding and complementary feeding, community programs, WASH, and pharmacist roles in screening, counselling, and managing drug–nutrient interactions. These MCQs emphasize pathophysiology, assessment tools, evidence-based prevention strategies, therapeutic nutrition, and programmatic approaches so you can integrate clinical nutrition into pharmaceutical care and public health. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.

Q1. Which statement best describes malnutrition?

• A condition only caused by insufficient calorie intake
• A spectrum including undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and overnutrition
• A disease limited to children under five
• A problem only in low-income countries

Correct Answer: A spectrum including undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and overnutrition

Q2. For adults, which BMI value is commonly used to define underweight?

• BMI > 30 kg/m2
• BMI 25–29.9 kg/m2
• BMI < 18.5 kg/m2
• BMI 18.5–24.9 kg/m2

Correct Answer: BMI < 18.5 kg/m2

Q3. Which assessment tool is most appropriate for quick screening of severe acute malnutrition in children 6–59 months?

• Serum albumin measurement
• Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC)
• Body mass index (BMI)
• Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)

Correct Answer: Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC)

Q4. Low serum albumin is most useful as an indicator of which nutritional state?

• Acute dehydration
• Chronic protein-energy malnutrition or systemic inflammation
• Iron deficiency specifically
• Excess caloric intake

Correct Answer: Chronic protein-energy malnutrition or systemic inflammation

Q5. The most common cause of microcytic anemia worldwide is deficiency of which nutrient?

• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin A
• Iron
• Folate

Correct Answer: Iron

Q6. Night blindness and xerosis are classic clinical signs of deficiency of which vitamin?

• Vitamin D
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin K

Correct Answer: Vitamin A

Q7. Iodine deficiency in pregnancy most directly increases the risk of which condition?

• Rickets
• Neural tube defects
• Congenital hypothyroidism and goiter
• Scurvy

Correct Answer: Congenital hypothyroidism and goiter

Q8. Which feeding practice is recommended exclusively for the first six months to prevent infant malnutrition?

• Early introduction of cereals at 2 months
• Exclusive breastfeeding
• Formula plus solid foods from birth
• Water and diluted juice only

Correct Answer: Exclusive breastfeeding

Q9. When should complementary (solid or semi-solid) feeding typically begin for infants?

• At birth
• At 2 months
• At about 6 months
• After 12 months only

Correct Answer: At about 6 months

Q10. Which public-health intervention is a classic example of food fortification to prevent micronutrient deficiency?

• Providing bed nets for malaria prevention
• Iodization of table salt
• Exclusive breastfeeding campaigns
• Distribution of antibiotics for pneumonia

Correct Answer: Iodization of table salt

Q11. How does supplementation differ from food fortification?

• Supplementation adds nutrients to commonly consumed foods for the whole population
• Supplementation provides concentrated nutrient doses as separate pills or sachets to target groups
• Supplementation changes the genetic composition of crops
• Supplementation is equivalent to increasing food diversity

Correct Answer: Supplementation provides concentrated nutrient doses as separate pills or sachets to target groups

Q12. Which strategy emphasizes promoting a varied diet from local foods to prevent micronutrient deficiencies?

• Therapeutic feeding only
• Dietary diversification
• Mass antibiotic distribution
• Exclusive reliance on supplements

Correct Answer: Dietary diversification

Q13. Improved water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) reduces malnutrition by primarily preventing what?

• Genetic disorders
• Food allergies
• Infectious diarrheal diseases and enteric dysfunction
• Excessive caloric intake

Correct Answer: Infectious diarrheal diseases and enteric dysfunction

Q14. Which role best describes how pharmacists can contribute to malnutrition prevention?

• Only dispensing antibiotics
• Counselling on drug–nutrient interactions, supporting supplementation programs, and screening for malnutrition
• Performing surgical feeding tube placement
• Formulating agricultural policies

Correct Answer: Counselling on drug–nutrient interactions, supporting supplementation programs, and screening for malnutrition

Q15. Concurrent use of oral tetracycline antibiotics with milk or antacids primarily causes which problem?

• Increased antibiotic potency
• Reduced antibiotic absorption due to chelation with calcium
• Enhanced calcium absorption
• Immediate hypersensitivity reactions

Correct Answer: Reduced antibiotic absorption due to chelation with calcium

Q16. Which statement correctly differentiates enteral and parenteral nutrition?

• Enteral nutrition bypasses the GI tract; parenteral uses the GI tract
• Enteral nutrition uses the GI tract (oral or tube feeding); parenteral delivers nutrients intravenously
• Both are administered only via central venous catheters
• Parenteral nutrition is always preferred when the gut is functional

Correct Answer: Enteral nutrition uses the GI tract (oral or tube feeding); parenteral delivers nutrients intravenously

Q17. Parenteral nutrition is most appropriate when which condition is present?

• Patient can swallow and digest normally
• Gastrointestinal tract is nonfunctional or inaccessible
• Mild dehydration only
• As first-line therapy for all malnourished patients

Correct Answer: Gastrointestinal tract is nonfunctional or inaccessible

Q18. Which micronutrient’s periconceptional supplementation is most strongly linked to prevention of neural tube defects?

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin B12
• Folic acid (folate)
• Vitamin D

Correct Answer: Folic acid (folate)

Q19. A common adverse effect of oral iron supplements that pharmacists should counsel patients about is:

• Excessive sweating
• Constipation and gastrointestinal upset
• Severe hypoglycemia
• Loss of deep tendon reflexes

Correct Answer: Constipation and gastrointestinal upset

Q20. Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) is primarily used in which context?

• Prevention of obesity in adults
• Community-based treatment of severe acute malnutrition in children
• Long-term enteral feeding in hospitals only
• Treatment of vitamin D deficiency

Correct Answer: Community-based treatment of severe acute malnutrition in children

Q21. The Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) is designed to screen which population?

• Infants exclusively
• Adults in community and hospital settings
• Only pregnant women
• Agricultural workers

Correct Answer: Adults in community and hospital settings

Q22. Which dietary component is known to reduce the absorption of iron and zinc by binding them in the gut?

• Ascorbic acid
• Phytates (found in legumes and grains)
• Heme iron from meat
• Monosaccharides

Correct Answer: Phytates (found in legumes and grains)

Q23. Which clinical feature distinguishes kwashiorkor from marasmus?

• Severe wasting without edema is kwashiorkor
• Presence of bilateral pitting edema is characteristic of kwashiorkor
• Marasmus always has hepatomegaly
• Both are identical clinically

Correct Answer: Presence of bilateral pitting edema is characteristic of kwashiorkor

Q24. Acute-phase inflammation can confound interpretation of which nutritional biomarker?

• Height-for-age
• Serum albumin and some micronutrient concentrations
• Mid-upper arm circumference
• Body mass index measured by scale

Correct Answer: Serum albumin and some micronutrient concentrations

Q25. Which food vehicle is commonly used for vitamin D fortification in many countries?

• Salt
• Milk and dairy products
• Rice husk
• Leafy vegetables

Correct Answer: Milk and dairy products

Q26. Stunting (low height-for-age) primarily reflects which type of malnutrition?

• Acute wasting
• Chronic undernutrition and long-term growth faltering
• Recent overnutrition
• Protein excess

Correct Answer: Chronic undernutrition and long-term growth faltering

Q27. Which WHO integrated program addresses multiple aspects of child health, including nutrition and infection management?

• DOTS for tuberculosis
• Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI)
• Global Fund malaria program
• DOT for malnutrition

Correct Answer: Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI)

Q28. In large supplementation campaigns, pharmacists are important for which of the following tasks?

• Designing agricultural extension services
• Ensuring correct dispersion, storage, dispensing and counselling for supplements
• Performing surgery on malnourished children
• Replacing community health workers entirely

Correct Answer: Ensuring correct dispersion, storage, dispensing and counselling for supplements

Q29. Which lipid-binding medication can reduce absorption of fat‑soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K)?

• Metformin
• Cholestyramine (a bile acid sequestrant)
• Amoxicillin
• Proton pump inhibitors

Correct Answer: Cholestyramine (a bile acid sequestrant)

Q30. In areas with high prevalence of vitamin A deficiency, a common preventive public health measure for young children is:

• Daily low-dose vitamin A through household diets only
• Mass high-dose vitamin A supplementation at recommended intervals
• Removing vitamin A from fortified foods
• Exclusive promotion of plant oils only

Correct Answer: Mass high-dose vitamin A supplementation at recommended intervals

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