Publications

Select Publications 

* indicates mentee author

  • Using mobile technology to improve disease self-management

The ubiquitous nature of mobile phones coupled with technological advances has led to expeditious growth in the field of mobile health (mHealth). I have led efforts on leveraging mHealth to deliver theoretically-based interventions to improve disease management in pediatric asthma and other chronic illnesses. Additionally, the mHealth marketplace has not yet met its potential to disseminate evidence-based health promotion interventions. In order to facilitate the maturation of the mHealth ecosystem, I am leading efforts to increase the scientific community’s understanding of which existing mHealth interventions are most effective and to elucidate ways they can be improved.

  • Fedele, D. A., Cushing, C. C., Koskela-Staples, N.,* Patton, S. R., McQuaid, E. L., Smyth, J. S., Prabhakaran, S., Gierer, S., & Nezu, A. M. (2020). Iterative user-centered development of an adaptive mobile health intervention for adolescents with asthma. JMIR mHealth and uHealth.
  • Fedele, D. A., McConville, A., Moon, J., & Thomas, J. G. (2019). Design considerations when creating pediatric mobile health interventions: Applying the IDEAS framework. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 44, 343-348. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsy084
  • Cushing, C. C., Fedele, D. A., Patton, S. R., McQuaid, E. L., Smyth, J. S., Prabhakaran, S., Gierer, S., Koskela-Staples, N.,* Ortega, A., Fleming, K., & Nezu, A. M. (2019). Responsive asthma care for teens (ReACT): Development protocol for an adaptive mobile health intervention for adolescents with asthma. BMJ Open, 9, e030029.
  • Ramsey, R. R., Carmody, J. K., Voorhees, S.,* Warning, A., Cushing, C. C., Guilbert, T. W., Hommel, K. A., & Fedele, D. A. (2019). A systematic evaluation of asthma management apps examining behavior change techniques. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice.
  • Fedele, D. A., McConville, A., Thomas, J. G., McQuaid, E. L., Janicke, D. M., Turner, E.,* Moon, J., & Abu-Hasan, M. (2018). Applying interactive mobile health to asthma care in teens: Development and design of a randomized controlled trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 64, 230-237. doi:10.1016/j.cct.2017.09.007
  • Cushing, C. C., Fedele, D. A., Brannon, E. E., & Kichline, T. (2018). What theoretical domains framework elements do parents want in a pediatric health behavior app?: A crowdsourced social validity study. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 6, e192. doi: 10.2196/mhealth.9808
  • Fedele, D. A., Cushing, C. C., Fritz, A.,* Amaro, C. M., & Ortega, A., (2017). Mobile health interventions for improving health outcomes in youth: A meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatrics, 171, 461-469. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.0042
  • The importance of family context in pediatric chronic illness management

Theoretical models of family adjustment to pediatric chronic illness posit a robust association between parent and child adjustment. Cross-sectional studies consistently demonstrate that parent and child adjustment outcomes are closely interrelated. However, cross-sectional examinations are unable to provide insight into the temporal sequencing of parent and child adjustment, which is critical for informing intervention design. These longitudinal studies provide evidence that parental adjustment is a key driver of downstream child adjustment in the context of pediatric chronic illness. As such, these studies support the development and implementation of parent-focused interventions as an efficacious strategy to improve family adjustment.

  • Turner, E. M.,* Koskela-Staples, N.,* Voorhees, S.,* McQuaid, E. L., & Fedele, D. A. (in press). Health-related decision-making in early adolescents with poorly controlled asthma. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology.
  • Netz, M.,* Fedele, D. A., Sweenie, R.,* Baker, D., Light, M., & McQuaid, E. L. (2020). Asthma management responsibility, control, and quality of life among emerging adolescents. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 45, 40-49. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsz069
  • Fedele, D. A., McQuaid, E. L., Faino, A., Strand, M., Cohen, S., Robinson, J., Atkins, D., O’B Hourihane, J., & Klinnert, M. D. (2016). Patterns of adaptation to children’s food allergies. Allergy, 71, 505-513. doi:10.1111/all.12825
  • Fedele, D. A., Hullmann, S. E., Chaffin, M., Kenner, C., Fisher, M. J., Kirk, K., Eddington, A. R., Phipps, S., McNall, R., & Mullins, L. L. (2013). Impact of a parent-based interdisciplinary intervention for mothers on adjustment in children newly diagnosed with cancer. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 38, 531-540. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jst010
  • The role of behavioral, psychosocial, and sociocultural predictors in pediatric asthma outcomes

Part of my recent endeavors have focused on the role of behavioral, psychosocial, and sociocultural predictors in pediatric asthma outcomes. These studies evaluated how variables including psychological distress and health beliefs were associated with intervention uptake and youth health behaviors. This work also documents that the functioning of the family system can be significantly related to aspects of youth asthma management. Collectively, these studies add to the literature indicating that youth health outcomes in asthma can be shaped by the social and family environment, among other factors. This work, in combination with my research on the importance of parent functioning in the context of a chronic illness, led to the development of several ongoing family-based interventions focused on health behavior change within pediatric asthma.

  • Sweenie, R.,* Basch, M., Ding, K., Pinto, S., Chardon, M., Janicke, D. M., Acharya, R., & Fedele, D. A. (2020). Subjective social status in adolescents with asthma: Psychosocial and physical health outcomes. Health Psychology, 39, 172-178. doi: 10.1037/hea0000822
  • Fedele, D. A., Barnett, T. E., Everhart, R. S., Lawless, C.,* & Forrest, J. (2016). Comparison of asthma prevalence and morbidity among rural and non-rural youth. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 117, 193-194. doi:10.1016/j.anai.2016.05.019
  • Fedele, D. A., Tooley, E., Busch, A., McQuaid, E. L., Hammond, S. K., & Borrelli, B. (2016). Secondhand smoke exposure in minority children with asthma. Health Psychology, 35, 115-122. doi:10.1037/hea0000220
  • Fedele, D. A., Rosales, A., Everhart, R. S., Koinis-Mitchell, D., Canino, G., Fritz, G. K., & McQuaid, E. L. (2014). The role of alternate caregivers in the management of pediatric asthma. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 39, 643-652. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsu025

My program of research has also recently focused on the intersection of asthma and obesity. These studies indicate that youth with asthma and obesity are at-risk for poor health outcomes including impaired sleep, lower quality of life, and disrupted sleep.

  • Fedele, D. A., Lucero, R. L., Janicke, D. M., Abu-Hasan, M., McQuaid, E. L., Moon, J., Fidler, A.,* Wallace-Farquharson, T., & Lindberg, D. (2019). Protocol for the development of a behavioral family lifestyle intervention supported by mobile health to improve weight self-management in children with asthma and obesity. JMIR Research Protocols, 8, e13549. doi: 10.2196/13549
  • Krietsch, K. N., Lawless, C.,* Fedele, D. A., McCrae, C. S., & Janicke, D. M. (2017). Influence of asthma status on sleep variability in overweight/obese youth. Journal of Asthma, 54, 383-391. doi: 10.1080/02770903.2016.1218010
  • Fedele, D. A., Janicke, D. M., McQuaid, E. L., Abu-Hasan, M., Baker, D., Zou, B., Netz, M.,* & Lawless, C.* (2018). A behavioral family intervention for children with overweight and asthma. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology, 6, 259-269. doi: 10.1037/cpp0000237
  • Fedele, D. A., Janicke, D. M., Lim, C. S., & Abu-Hasan, M. (2014). An Examination of comorbid asthma and obesity: Assessing differences in physical activity, sleep duration, health-related quality of life, and parental distress. Journal of Asthma, 51, 275-281. doi:10.3109/02770903.2013.873807