A nurse is discussing the plan of care for a school-age child who was recently diagnosed with diabetes mellitus with the child's parents. The family of three is living on a tight budget because the father's business has been closed due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Which of the following factors requires attention from the nurse?

Choice A: Proportionate Mortality
Proportionate mortality refers to the proportion of deaths in a specified population over a period of time attributable to different causes. It is expressed as a percentage of the total number of deaths. While this measure can provide insight into the relative importance of different causes of death, it does not give the actual mortality rate for each cause. Therefore, it is not the best measure for identifying the top three causes of death in a county.

Choice B: Crude Mortality Rate
The crude mortality rate is the total number of deaths from all causes per 1,000 or 100,000 population in a given year. This measure provides an overall picture of the mortality level in a population but does not specify the causes of death. It is useful for general mortality trends but not for identifying specific causes of death.

Choice C: Cause-Specific Mortality Rate
The cause-specific mortality rate is the number of deaths from a specific cause per 100,000 population in a given year. This measure is the most appropriate for identifying the top three causes of death because it provides detailed information on the mortality rate for each specific cause. By calculating the cause-specific mortality rates, the nurse can determine which causes are the most significant contributors to mortality in the county.

Choice D: Case Fatality
Case fatality refers to the proportion of individuals diagnosed with a particular disease who die from that disease within a specified period. It is usually expressed as a percentage. While case fatality provides information on the severity of a disease, it does not give the overall mortality rate for the population or help identify the top causes of death.

Choice A: "I Will Not Know if I Am Going to Be in the Intervention or Control Group."
This statement indicates an understanding of the concept of blinding in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). In an RCT, participants are randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the control group, and they are often blinded to which group they are in to prevent bias. This helps ensure the validity and reliability of the study results.

Choice B: "The Study Will Last for 10 Years. You Will Contact Me Annually for an Interview and Blood Work."
While this statement may describe the duration and follow-up procedures of some studies, it does not specifically indicate an understanding of the key aspects of a randomized controlled trial, such as randomization and blinding. The focus here is on the logistics rather than the methodology of the RCT.

Choice C: "You'll Need to Find Other Participants Like Me but Who Do Not Have This Disease."
This statement suggests a misunderstanding of the typical participant selection process for an RCT. In many RCTs, especially those testing new treatments, participants are selected based on having the condition being studied. The comparison is usually between those receiving the intervention and those receiving a placebo or standard treatment, not between those with and without the disease.

Choice D: "The Survey Will Take an Hour to Complete and Then I'll Be Done."
This statement indicates a misunderstanding of the nature of participation in an RCT. RCTs often involve multiple assessments, follow-ups, and possibly interventions over a period of time. A single survey is unlikely to encompass the full scope of participation in an RCT.