Sinclair School of Nursing

Vicki S. Conn, PhD, RN, FAAN

Associate Dean for Research
Potter-Brinton Professor

E-mail: conn@missouri.edu
Phone: 573-882-0231
Fax: 573-884-4544

S317 School of Nursing
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO 65211

Nursing specialty

Gerontological nursing, Health behavior change

Interest area(s)

Health behavior research including exercise and medication adherence behavior among healthy and chronically ill adults.

Education

• BSN, Avila College, Kansas City, Mo.
• MS(N), University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo.
• MA, University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo.
• PhD, University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo.
• Post-doctorate, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.

Area of doctoral study

Social psychology of health and aging

Area of post-doctoral study

Intervention research with aging adults

Program of research

Dr. Conn conducts primary research and meta-analysis research on interventions to increase exercise behavior and to improve medication adherence. Dr. Conn’s current NIH R01 funded project is a quantitative synthesis of interventions designed to increase physical activity among healthy adults. Her research is routinely published in premier interdisciplinary journals.

Selected Grants and Awards

• Meta-Analysis of Interventions to Increase Exercise/Physical Activity — (R01) National Institutes of Health, $1,687,439, 2006-2010

Selected publications

• Conn, V., Hafdahl, A., Cooper, P., Ruppar, T., Mehr, D., & Russell, C. (In press). Interventions to improve medication adherence among older adults: meta-analysis of adherence outcomes among randomized controlled trials. The Gerontologist.
  Conn, V., Hafdahl, A., Moore, S., Nielsen, P., & Brown, L. (In press). Meta-analysis of interventions to increase physical activity among adults with cardiovascular disease. International Journal of Cardiology.
• Conn, V., Hafdahl, A., Minor, M., & Nielsen, P. (2008). Physical activity interventions among adults with arthritis: Meta-analysis of outcomes. Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatology, 37, 307-316.
• Conn, V., Hafdahl, A., Brown, S., & Brown, L. (2008). Meta-analysis of patient education interventions to increase physical activity among chronically ill adults. Patient Education and Counseling, 70, 157-172.
• Conn, V., Cooper, P., Ruppar, T. and Russell, C. (2008). Searching for the intervention in intervention research reports. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 40, 52-59.
• Conn, V., Hafdahl, A., LeMaster, J., Ruppar, T., Cochran, J. and Nielsen, P. (2008). Interventions to improve self-management among adults with type 1 diabetes: Meta-analysis of metabolic outcomes. American Journal of Health Behavior, 32, 315-329.
• Conn, V., Hafdahl, A., Mehr, D., LeMaster, J., Brown, S. and Nielsen, P. (2007). Meta-analysis of metabolic effects of interventions to increase exercise among adults with type 2 diabetes. Diabetologia, 50(5):913-21.
• Conn, V., Hafdahl, A., Porock, D., McDaniel, R. and Nielsen, P. (2006). A meta-analysis of exercise interventions among people treated for cancer. Supportive Care in Cancer, 14, 699-712.
• Conn, V., Porter, R., McDaniel, R., Rantz, M. and Maas, M. (2005). Building research productivity in an academic setting. Nursing Outlook, 53, 224-231.
• Conn, V., Burks, K., Minor, M. and Mehr, D. (2003). Randomized trial of two interventions to increase older women’s exercise. American Journal of Health Behavior, 27, 380-388.

More Publications

Bio/professional experience

Dr. Conn has directed research activities at Sinclair School of Nursing for over a decade. She is also editor-in-chief of Western Journal of Nursing Research. Dr. Conn has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health for her exercise research for many years.

Student mentoring projects

• Ruppar, T. (2007-2009). Medication compliance among older adults. Hartford Foundation. Pre-doctoral fellowship.
• Russell, C. (2005 – 2007). Medication compliance in older renal transplant patients. Hartford Foundation. Post-doctoral fellowship.
• Gretebeck, K. (2004–2006). Exercise intervention trial for older adults with heart failure. Claude Pepper Center Junior Faculty Fellowship (National Institute on Aging) at University of Michigan.
• Cochran, J. (2003–2006). Email intervention to enhance exercise among adults with type 2 diabetes. National Institute of Nursing Research Individual Predoctoral Fellowship.
• Pomeroy, S. (1999-2002). Church-based intervention to increase rural elders’ exercise. National Institute of Nursing Research Individual Predoctoral Fellowship.
• Burks, K. (1999-2001). The effect of self-management interventions on older adults with osteoarthritis. Veterans Administration Predoctoral Fellowship.

Presentations and lectures

• Conn, V. (2008). Finding the intervention in intervention research reports. International Nurse Editors Conference. Padua, Italy.
• Conn, V. and Hafdahl, A. (2007). Metabolic effects of interventions to increase exercise among adults with type 2 diabetes. Sigma Theta Tau International. Vienna, Austria.
• Conn, V., McDaniel, R., Porock, D., Hafdahl, A. and Nielsen, P. (2005). Meta-analysis of exercise interventions among people treated for cancer. European Cancer Conference. Paris, France.
• Conn, V. and Hafdahl, A. (2005). Meta-analysis of interventions to improve physical function among adults with daibetes. Sigma Theta Tau International. Hawaii.
• Conn, V. (2004). Randomized controlled trial of interventions to increase aged women’s physical activity. Sigma Theta Tau International. Dublin, Ireland.

Honors and awards

• Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) (2005)
• Study Section Member and Temporary Member, National Institutes of Health-Nursing Science Adults and Older Adults (NSAA) Study Section (1998-2008)
• Citation of Merit from Society of Behavioral Medicine

Memberships

• American Academy of Nursing (Fellow)
• American Academy of Health Behavior
• Editorial Board, Nursing Research, Journal of Gerongolotical Nursing, Research in Gerontological Nursing
• Midwest Nursing Research Society
• American Nursing Association