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Constance A. Mara, PhD

  • Quantitative Psychologist, Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology
  • Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

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.

BSc: Trent University, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, 2008.

MA: York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2009.

PhD: York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2013.

Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH.

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

Establishing Clinical Cut-points on the Pediatric PROMIS-pain Interference Scale in Youth with Abdominal Pain. Gamwell, KL; Mara, CA; Hommel, KA; Kashikar-Zuck, S; Cunningham, NR. Clinical Journal of Pain. 2021.

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Caregivers of Young Children with Sickle Cell Disease Enrolled in the Engage-HU Trial. Hood, AM; Hildenbrand, AK; Rebitski, J; Stallworth, J; Johnson, Y; Gomes, S; Whitacre, C; Mara, CA; Shook, LM; Quinn, CT; et al. Blood. 2021; 138:1891-1891.

Integrated Behavioral Health Increases Well-Child Visits and Immunizations in the First Year. Ammerman, RT; Herbst, R; Mara, CA; Taylor, S; McClure, JM; Burkhardt, MC; Stark, LJ. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. 2021.

Mobile health use predicts self-efficacy and self-management in adolescents with sickle cell disease. Hood, AM; Nwankwo, C; Walton, A; Mctate, E; Joffe, N; Quinn, CT; Britto, MT; Peugh, J; Mara, CA; Crosby, LE. Translational Behavioral Medicine. 2021; 11:1823-1831.

Psychometric evaluation of the brief RCOPE and relationships with psychological functioning among caregivers of children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant. McGrady, ME; Mara, CA; Geiger-Behm, K; Ragsdale, J; Davies, SM; Schwartz, LA; Phipps, S; Pai, AL H. Psycho-Oncology. 2021; 30:1457-1465.

Analyzing discontinuities in longitudinal count data: A multilevel generalized linear mixed model. Peugh, JL; Beal, SJ; McGrady, ME; Toland, MD; Mara, C. Psychological Methods. 2021; 26:375-397.

Modifiable factors associated with mental health symptoms in siblings of adolescents with anorexia nervosa. Matthews, A; Peterson, CM; Lenz, K; Kramer, RA; Mara, C; Copps, E; Mitan, L. Eating and Weight Disorders. 2021; 26:1757-1765.

Multisite Examination of Depression Screening Scores and Correlates Among Adolescents and Young Adults With Type 2 Diabetes. Monaghan, M; Mara, CA; Kichler, JC; Westen, SC; Rawlinson, A; Jacobsen, LM; Adams, RN; Stone, JY; Hood, KK; Mulvaney, SA. Canadian Journal of Diabetes. 2021; 45:411-416.

Supporting treatment adherence regimens in children with epilepsy: A randomized clinical trial. Modi, AC; Guilfoyle, SM; Glauser, TA; Mara, CA. Epilepsia. 2021; 62:1643-1655.

Engaging Caregivers and Providers of Children With Sickle Cell Anemia in Shared Decision Making for Hydroxyurea: Protocol for a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial. Hood, AM; Strong, H; Nwankwo, C; Johnson, Y; Peugh, J; Mara, CA; Shook, LM; Brinkman, WB; Real, FJ; Klein, MD; et al. JMIR Research Protocols. 2021; 10.