Social and health education – objectives and importance MCQs With Answer
Social and health education equips B.Pharm students with knowledge of health promotion, disease prevention, community health, health literacy, and communication skills essential for pharmaceutical practice. Key objectives include understanding public health principles, planning health education activities, promoting rational drug use, and addressing social determinants of health. This topic emphasizes the pharmacist’s role in patient counselling, immunization support, maternal-child health, sanitation, behavior change models, and evaluation of health programs. Mastery of these concepts enhances patient outcomes, compliance, and community wellbeing. The following MCQs focus on objectives, methods, importance, and practical applications in clinical and community pharmacy settings. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.
Q1. What is the primary objective of social and health education in pharmacy practice?
- To develop new pharmaceutical compounds
- To improve community health through awareness and behavior change
- To manage hospital inventory
- To increase drug sales
Correct Answer: To improve community health through awareness and behavior change
Q2. Which term best describes the ability of individuals to obtain, process, and understand basic health information?
- Health surveillance
- Health literacy
- Pharmacovigilance
- Clinical governance
Correct Answer: Health literacy
Q3. Which of the following is a key social determinant of health that health education programs should address?
- Genetic mutation
- Socioeconomic status
- Laboratory assay sensitivity
- Pharmaceutical packaging
Correct Answer: Socioeconomic status
Q4. In planning health education, which framework helps set clear, measurable goals?
- ABC analysis
- SMART objectives
- FIFO principle
- SWOT without goals
Correct Answer: SMART objectives
Q5. Which behavior change model emphasizes stages like precontemplation and maintenance?
- Health Belief Model
- Transtheoretical Model (Stages of Change)
- Diffusion of Innovations
- Theory of Planned Behavior
Correct Answer: Transtheoretical Model (Stages of Change)
Q6. For evaluating an education program, which indicator measures change in knowledge directly?
- Incidence rate
- Pre- and post-test scores
- Drug utilization review
- Sales data
Correct Answer: Pre- and post-test scores
Q7. Which method is most effective for improving adherence through individualized counselling?
- Mass media campaign
- One-on-one patient education
- Technical journal publication
- Automated inventory alerts
Correct Answer: One-on-one patient education
Q8. Which public health activity is directly linked to pharmacists’ role in social and health education?
- Performing major surgery
- Administering vaccines and counseling on immunization
- Designing clinical trials
- Manufacturing tablets
Correct Answer: Administering vaccines and counseling on immunization
Q9. What is a common barrier to effective health education in communities?
- High literacy rates
- Lack of cultural competence
- Unlimited funding
- Universal access to care
Correct Answer: Lack of cultural competence
Q10. Which communication technique improves patient understanding and recall?
- Using technical jargon
- Teach-back method
- Monologue lecture without feedback
- One-way text-only notices
Correct Answer: Teach-back method
Q11. Which component is essential in a health education module for antibiotic stewardship?
- Encouraging self-medication
- Rational drug use and adherence to prescription
- Promoting broad-spectrum antibiotic use for all fevers
- Reducing diagnostic testing
Correct Answer: Rational drug use and adherence to prescription
Q12. Which evaluation design best assesses long-term impact of a community health education program?
- Cross-sectional survey
- Randomized controlled trial or longitudinal follow-up
- Single-case anecdote
- Immediate post-test only
Correct Answer: Randomized controlled trial or longitudinal follow-up
Q13. What role does social media play in health education for pharmacists?
- Only for advertising products
- Platform for patient education, awareness campaigns, and myth correction
- Replacement for all in-person counselling
- Irrelevant for public health
Correct Answer: Platform for patient education, awareness campaigns, and myth correction
Q14. Which health education approach focuses on community participation and empowerment?
- Top-down directive model
- Participatory community education
- Purely clinical lectures
- Transactional marketing
Correct Answer: Participatory community education
Q15. For maternal and child health education, which topic is vital for pharmacists to counsel on?
- Safe medication use during pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Industrial chemical synthesis
- Hospital billing codes
- Clinical trial recruitment
Correct Answer: Safe medication use during pregnancy and breastfeeding
Q16. Which monitoring tool helps track behavior change over time in a health campaign?
- Process indicators and outcome indicators
- Only baseline anecdote
- Unstructured interviews without recording
- Sales targets
Correct Answer: Process indicators and outcome indicators
Q17. What is the importance of cultural competence in health education?
- It increases medication costs
- It ensures messages are respectful, relevant, and effective for diverse populations
- It reduces the need for translation
- It standardizes a single message for all groups
Correct Answer: It ensures messages are respectful, relevant, and effective for diverse populations
Q18. Which of the following best defines health promotion?
- Only treating diseases after they occur
- Enabling people to increase control over and improve their health
- Exclusive focus on medication development
- Regulating pharmaceutical prices
Correct Answer: Enabling people to increase control over and improve their health
Q19. What is a KAP survey used for in health education?
- Measuring Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of a target group
- Counting pills in inventory
- Forecasting drug shortages only
- Clinical chemistry analysis
Correct Answer: Measuring Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of a target group
Q20. Which instructional material is most suitable for low-literacy populations?
- Text-heavy pamphlets
- Visual aids with pictures and simple messages
- Advanced research articles
- Dense regulatory documents
Correct Answer: Visual aids with pictures and simple messages
Q21. In health education, what does IEC stand for?
- Information, Education, Communication
- Immediate Emergency Care
- International Epidemiology Council
- Inventory, Expense, Costing
Correct Answer: Information, Education, Communication
Q22. Which ethical principle is most relevant when educating patients about medications?
- Beneficence and informed consent
- Profit maximization
- Marketing exclusivity
- Patent protection
Correct Answer: Beneficence and informed consent
Q23. What is the pharmacist’s role in tobacco cessation education?
- Ignoring patient smoking habits
- Providing counselling, nicotine replacement information, and referrals
- Promoting tobacco products
- Only recording smoking status without action
Correct Answer: Providing counselling, nicotine replacement information, and referrals
Q24. Which outcome reflects success of a vaccination awareness program?
- Increased vaccine hesitancy
- Higher immunization coverage and uptake
- Reduced clinic hygiene
- Lower reporting of adverse events
Correct Answer: Higher immunization coverage and uptake
Q25. Which teaching method encourages critical thinking and peer learning in health education?
- Interactive group discussions and problem-based learning
- Silent individual rote memorization
- One-way lecture with no interaction
- Broadcast-only announcements
Correct Answer: Interactive group discussions and problem-based learning
Q26. What is the role of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in health education programs?
- Only to increase paperwork
- To assess effectiveness, make improvements, and demonstrate impact
- To restrict community participation
- To delay program implementation indefinitely
Correct Answer: To assess effectiveness, make improvements, and demonstrate impact
Q27. Which strategy helps counter misinformation about medicines in communities?
- Ignoring rumors
- Proactive education, transparent communication, and myth-busting
- Using technical terms to confuse audiences
- Limiting information access
Correct Answer: Proactive education, transparent communication, and myth-busting
Q28. Which indicator measures access to essential medicines in a community?
- Medicine availability at health facilities
- Number of research articles published
- Pharmacy staff social media followers
- Length of drug patents
Correct Answer: Medicine availability at health facilities
Q29. What is the significance of tailoring messages in health education?
- It wastes resources
- It increases relevance and effectiveness for specific audience needs
- It always reduces clarity
- It standardizes one message for all
Correct Answer: It increases relevance and effectiveness for specific audience needs
Q30. Which skill is essential for pharmacists to deliver effective social and health education?
- Effective communication and counseling skills
- Only laboratory pipetting skills
- Exclusive focus on manufacturing processes
- Graphic design for entertainment
Correct Answer: Effective communication and counseling skills

I am a Registered Pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and the founder of PharmacyFreak.com. I hold a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Rungta College of Pharmaceutical Science and Research. With a strong academic foundation and practical knowledge, I am committed to providing accurate, easy-to-understand content to support pharmacy students and professionals. My aim is to make complex pharmaceutical concepts accessible and useful for real-world application.
Mail- Sachin@pharmacyfreak.com

