Constance A. Mara, PhD

Quantitative Psychologist, Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology
Associate Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

constance.mara@cchmc.org

About

Biography

Dr. Mara researches improved methods for measuring and analyzing psychological data in quantitative methods. Her research has focused on developing and investigating improved procedures for analyzing behavioral data. For example, she has studied equivalence testing methods that have recently become popular in psychology for investigating when groups/conditions are equivalent, or when a lack of association between variables exists. Dr. Mara has also investigated novel structural equation models for investigating change in randomized longitudinal studies, and applications of item response theory.

Dr. Mara’s research in the area of pediatric patient-reported outcomes has centered on the measurement and psychometric properties of patient-reported outcomes in a pediatric healthcare setting. In particular, she uses item-response theory (IRT) and factor analysis to examine the psychometric properties of patient-reported outcomes. It is critical that the measures we use are reliable, valid, sensitive, and responsive. Applying contemporary measurement science to assess the measures used as outcomes in research is critical to reducing error and improving the accuracy and replicability of our research findings.

Interests

Innovative application of advanced quantitative methods to research in pediatric psychology; pediatric patient-reported outcomes; longitudinal data analysis; randomized behavioral clinical trials

Research Areas

Clinical Psychology

Publications

Integrated Behavioral Health Prevention for Infants in Pediatric Primary Care: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study. Ammerman, RT; Rybak, TM; Herbst, RB; Mara, CA; Zion, C; Patel, MA; Burstein, E; Lauer, BA; Fiat, AE; Jordan, P; Burkhardt, MC; McClure, JM; Stark, LJ. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. 2024; 49:298-308.

Feasibility pilot trial of a tailored medication adherence-promotion intervention for adolescents and young adults with cancer: Study design and protocol. McGrady, ME; Ketterl, TG; Webster, RT; Schwartz, LE; Brock, MY; Szulczewski, L; Burke, M; Hommel, KA; Pai, AL H; Mara, CA; Steele, AC; Regan, GG; Norris, RE. Contemporary Clinical Trials. 2024; 139:107483.

Emotion coaching skills as an augmentation to family-based therapy for adolescents with anorexia nervosa: A pilot effectiveness study with families with high expressed emotion. Aarnio-Peterson, CM; Le Grange, D; Mara, CA; Modi, AC; Offenbacker North, E; Zegarac, M; Stevens, K; Matthews, A; Mitan, L; Shaffer, A; Nochaiwong, S; Investigators, fT T R O R. International Journal of Eating Disorders. 2024; 57:682-694.

Behavior Problems in Low-Income Young Children Screened in Pediatric Primary Care. Ammerman, RT; Mara, CA; Anyigbo, C; Herbst, RB; Reyner, A; Rybak, TM; McClure, JM; Burkhardt, MC; Stark, LJ; Kahn, RS. JAMA Pediatrics. 2023; 177:1306-1313.

Feasibility of Electronic Medication Monitoring Among Adolescents and Emerging Adults with Sickle Cell Disease. Hildenbrand, AK; Kidwell, KM; McGrady, ME; Quinn, CT; Crosby, LE; Mara, CA. Patient Preference and Adherence. 2023; 17:3167-3171.

Patterns of substance use among adolescents in and out of foster care: An analysis of linked health and child welfare administrative data. Beal, SJ; Greiner, MV; Ammerman, RT; Mara, CA; Nause, K; Schulenberg, J; Noll, JG. Child Abuse and Neglect. 2023; 146:106473.

Patterns of Nonadherence to Hydroxyurea in Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease. Crosby, LE; Lang, A; Mara, C; Quinn, CT; Schultz, CL; Bear, B; Akintobi, TE; Miller, RE; Hildenbrand, AK. Blood. 2023; 142:7198.

A randomized clinical trial to support adherence regimens in children with epilepsy: Examining potential mechanisms of change. Winning, AM; Mara, CA; Williford, DN; Guilfoyle, SM; Buschhaus, S; Modi, AC. Epilepsy and Behavior. 2023; 147:109393.

The Barriers Assessment Tool-A Patient-Centered Measure of Adherence Barriers in Pediatric Kidney Transplantation. Varnell, CD; Hooper, DK; Mara, CA; Modi, AC; Rich, KL. Children. 2023; 10:1435.

Augmenting family based treatment with emotion coaching for adolescents with anorexia nervosa and atypical anorexia nervosa: Trial design and methodological report. Aarnio-Peterson, CM; Mara, CA; Modi, AC; Matthews, A; Le Grange, D; Shaffer, A. Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications. 2023; 33:101118.