University of Michigan School of Nursing

David L. Ronis

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Dr. David Ronis

David L. Ronis, PhD

Research Scientist
Director of Statistical Consulting Team
Room 4330

University of Michigan School of Nursing
400 North Ingalls Building
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5482

Telephone: (734) 647-0462
Fax: (734) 647-0351

Scholarly Expertise / Activity

Interests:

  • Statistical power analysis
  • Research design and analysis
  • Health related behaviors
  • Public health
  • Health services research

Dr. Ronis is a statistician with a background in psychology. His special expertise is in conducting power analyses to determine the sample size and research design features of grant proposals. He usually writes data analysis and power analysis sections in grant proposals. He is also a skillful data analyst with knowledge of survey design, linear and logistic regression analysis, and analysis of variance among many other types of data analysis.

Current Research Grants and Programs:

  • R21 NR010457-01 (Villarruel), NIH/NINR, Testing a Computer-Based Parent/Adolescent HIV Communication Intervention for Latinos, Aims: Examine whether computer based parental communication intervention is: 1) associated with greater increase in parents’ comfort with, and quantity of, communication; 2) associated with greater increase in adolescents’ intentions to abstain from sex and/or avoid unprotected intercourse and decreased self-reported intercourse and unprotected intercourse; and 3) feasible and acceptable to Spanish dominant Latino parents and their adolescent children. Role: Co-Investigator.
  • 1 R21 CA138725-01 (Northouse), NCI/NIH, Tailored Web-based Intervention for Cancer Patients and Family Caregivers, Aims: (1) Develop individually tailored, interactive, web- and email-based Family Involvement Module. Three-session module will be completed jointly by patients and caregivers to increase their effective communication, dyadic support, self-efficacy, and perceived benefits of illness and to decrease emotional distress; and (2) determine feasibility of delivering web-based module measured by indicators of web engagement obtained from paradata automatically recorded by website (number of webpages accessed, time spent on sections of the module, and utilization of links). A process evaluation also will be used to obtain participants’ evaluation of the Family Involvement Module. Role: Co-Investigator and Statistician
  • 2 R01 NR007618, (Sampselle, C.), NIH/NINR, Self-Care to Prevent Birth-Related UI in Diverse Women, Project proposes to test the efficacy of an intensive antenatal class in bladder health in a sample of racially and ethnically diverse childbearing women. RCT tests the combined strategies in a primiparous and multiparous sample using a three-year follow-up design. Role: Co-Investigator/Statistician.
  • R34 MH082644 (Martyn), NINR/NIH, Testing a Sexual Risk Event History Calendar Intervention with Adolescents, The broad objective of this RCT study is to evaluate the effect of EHC clinical assessment on sexually active female and male adolescents’ cognitive appraisal of risk, sexual risk behavior and intentions, and quality of communication with providers. Role: Co-Investigator

Affiliations / Service

  • Member, American Statistical Association, 1985-present
  • Member, American Psychological Association, 1975-present

Notable Awards / Honors

  • Exemplary Team Award received as a member of the Grants and Research Office, University of Michigan, 2005

Education

  • Postdoctoral Traineeship - Applications of Mathematical and Experimental Psychology to Health‑Related Behavior, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 1982-1983
  • PhD, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 1977
  • MA, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 1974
  • BA, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, 1972

Publication Highlights

  • Hurren, K. M., Bartley, E. P., O’Neill, J. L., & Ronis, D. L. (in press). Effect of sulfonylurea dose escalation on hemoglobin A1c in Veterans Affairs patients with type 2 diabetes. Acta Diabetologica.
  • Pressler, S. J., Kim, J., Riley, P., Ronis, D. L., & Gradus-Pizlo, I. (in press). Memory dysfunction, psychomotor slowing, and decreased executive function predict mortality in patients with heart failure and low ejection fraction. Journal of Cardiac Failure.
  • Shuman, A. G., Duffy, S. A., Ronis, D. L., Garetz, S. L., McLean, S. A., Fowler, K. E., & Terrell, J. E. (in press). Predictors of poor sleep quality among head and neck cancer patients. The Laryngoscope.
  • Stein, K. F., Corte, C., & Ronis, D. L. (in press). Personal identities and disordered eating behaviors in Mexican American women. Eating Behaviors.
  • Villarruel, A. M., Zhou, Y., Gallegos, E. C., & Ronis, D. L. (in press). Examining long-term effects of Cuidate – A sexual risk reduction program: Results of a randomized controlled trial. Pan American Journal of Public Health.
  • Torres, E. R., Sampselle, C. M., Gretebeck, K. A., Ronis, D. L., & Neighbors, H. W. (in press). Physical activity effects on depressive symptoms in black adults. Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice.
  • Fletcher, C. E., Ronis, D. L., Hetzel, J. M., & Lowery, J. C. (in press). A quick measure to guide allocation of chaplains’ time with hospitalized veterans. The Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling.
  • Cimprich, B., Visovatti, M., & Ronis, D. L. (in press). The Attentional Function Index – A self report cognitive measure. Psycho-Oncology.
  • Manojlovich, M. M., Antonakos, C. L., & Ronis, D. L. (in press). Effects of hospital size and ICU type on select adverse patient outcomes. Hospital Topics.
  • Duffy, S. A., Karvonen-Gutierrez, C. A., Ewing, L. A., Smith, P. M., and Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 11 Tobacco Tactics Team (2010). Implementation of the Tobacco Tactics program in the Department of Veterans Affairs. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 25 (Suppl 1), 3-10.
  • Valenstein, M., Kavanagh, J., Lee, T., Reilly, P., Dalack, G. W., Grabowski, J., Smelson, D., Ronis, D. L., Ganoczy, D., Woltmann, E., Metreger, T., Wolschon, P., Jensen, A., Poddig, B., & Blow, F. C. (2009). Using a pharmacy-based intervention to improve antipsychotic adherence among patients with serious mental illness. Schizophrenia Bulletin. DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbp121.
  • Seng, J. S., Kane Low, L., Sperlich, M., Ronis, D. L., & Liberzon, I. (2009). Prevalence, trauma history, and risk for posttraumatic stress disorder among nulliparous women in maternity care. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 114, 839-847.
  • Wu, T.-Y., & Ronis, D. (2009). Correlates of recent and regular mammography screening among Asian-American women. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 65, 2434-2446.
  • Martyn, K. K., Loveland-Cherry, C. J., Villarruel, A. M., Cabriales, E. G., Zhou, Y., Ronis, D. L., & Eakin, B. (2009). Mexican adolescents’ alcohol use, family intimacy, and parent-adolescent communication. Journal of Family Nursing, 15, 152-170.
  • Duffy, S. A., Ronis, D. L., McLean, S., Fowler, K. E., Gruber, S. B., Wolf, G. T., & Terrell, J. E. (2009). Pretreatment health behaviors predict survival among patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 27, 1969-1975.