Daily reports and pooled time series analysis: pediatric psychology applications.

Abstract

To apply daily reports and pooled time series analysis (PTSA) to issues in pediatric psychology research. We discuss specific applications for this procedure in analyzing repeated observations for a small sample, including medication effects, caregiving role strain, pain reports, and treatment effects. In the PTSA example presented, 20 daily behavior reports were provided by parents of 10 children with steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) during high-dose steroid administration and tapering. The full model, including child age, medication dosage, and between-subjects effects, significantly predicted children's aggressive behavior and anxious/depressed behavior. Steroid dosage significantly predicted aggressive, but not anxious/depressed, behavior. Daily reports analyzed using PTSA provided insight into serious behavioral side effects of steroid medications used to treat SSNS. We discuss the role of pediatric psychologists in addressing medication side effects and other time-related effects detectable using this methodology.