Pearl A. McElfish
Federal Grant PI
High Impact
Director
faculty
College of Northwest Arkansas UAMS Campus
35 h-index
358 pubs
4,836 cited
Research Areas
Biography and Research Information
OverviewAI-generated summary
Pearl A. McElfish's research focuses on public health issues, particularly concerning health disparities and access to care, with a significant emphasis on COVID-19 and diabetes management. She has led multiple federally funded projects totaling over $5.4 million. These include NIH-funded initiatives to address barriers to diabetes self-management among Marshallese immigrants and to improve home food delivery for diabetes care in rural clinics. She also leads the Maternal and Reproductive Community Health Excellence (MaRCH) Center of Biomedical Research Excellence, funded by NIH, and a project assessing Community Health Worker (CHW) roles in postpartum health.
Her recent publications investigate vaccine hesitancy across various demographics, including racial and ethnic groups, youth, and hesitant vaccine adopters. These studies explore factors such as trust, fear of infection, and experiences of discrimination. Additionally, McElfish has published research on facilitators and barriers to falls prevention among older adults and perceived barriers to COVID-19 testing. She maintains an active research group and laboratory website, and her work has been recognized with a high-impact researcher designation due to her citation metrics (h-index: 35, total citations: 4,738 over 355 publications).
Metrics
- h-index: 35
- Publications: 358
- Citations: 4,836
Selected Publications
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Integrating Community Health Workers Into Clinical Settings (2026)
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Income variability and incident cardiovascular disease in diabetes: a population-based cohort study (2024)
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Job Flexibility, Job Security, and Mental Health Among US Working Adults (2024)
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Barriers, facilitators, and priority needs related to cancer prevention, control, and research in rural, persistent poverty areas (2023)
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Understanding Vaccination Among Hesitant Adopters of the COVID-19 Vaccine Using the Increasing Vaccination Model (2023)
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Factors associated with breast cancer screening services use among women in the United States: An application of the Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use (2023)
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Reaching late adopters: factors influencing COVID-19 vaccination of Marshallese and Hispanic adults (2023)
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Hesitant adopters: COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among diverse vaccinated adults in the United States (2023)
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Healthcare Access and Experiences of Racial Discrimination as Predictors of General Vaccine Hesitancy (2023)
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Experiences of Discrimination Among Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders Living in the USA (2023)
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Overcoming barriers and enhancing facilitators to COVID-19 vaccination in the Hispanic community (2022)
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Higher walkability associated with increased physical activity and reduced obesity among United States adults (2022)
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COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and racial discrimination among US adults (2022)
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Associations between COVID-19 vaccine uptake, race/ethnicity, and political party affiliation (2022)
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The vaccine hesitancy continuum among hesitant adopters of the COVID‐19 vaccine (2022)
Federal Grants 4 $5,445,043 total
NIH/Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Contact PI
Sep 2025 - Aug 2027
CARE PATH Community Health Worker (CHW) Assessment for Postpartum Health
NIH/National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Contact PI
Aug 2025 - May 2030
NIH/National Institute of Nursing Research
Contact PI
Sep 2020 - Jun 2026
Home Food Delivery for Diabetes Management in Patients of Rural Clinics
NIH/National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
Contact PI
Jul 2019 - Feb 2026
Addressing Marshallese Immigrant Barriers to Diabetes Self-Management through Family DSMES
Grants & Funding
- Evaluation of the cognitive function and socioeconomic, biomedical, and genetic risk factors of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in older Marshallese residents of Northwest Arkansas NIH/National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities Principal Investigator
- Healthy Start for Northwest Arkansas - Continuation US Department of Health & Human Services Principal Investigator
- North Arkansas Rural Pathways Program Health Resources & Services Administration Principal Investigator
- Center for Maternal and Reproductive Community Health Equity (MaRCH) NIH/Nat. Inst. of General Medical Sciences Principal Investigator
- Effects of COVID-19 Related Medicaid Policy Changes in the Marshallese COFA Migrant Population NIH Co-Investigator
- Northwest Arkansas Teen Outreach Program (NWA-TOP) DHHS - Administration for Children & Families Principal Investigator
- Healthy Bodies, Healthy Souls - Continuation NIH/National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities Principal Investigator
- Evaluation of the effectiveness of Ajjmuurur Baam?e DSMES in the RMI NIH/Nat. Inst. of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases Principal Investigator
Collaboration Network
Top Collaborators
Don E. Willis
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
28 shared publications
In database
- COVID‐19 vaccine hesitancy: Race/ethnicity, trust, and fear
- Sociodemographic Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy, Fear of Infection, and Protection Self-Efficacy
- Perceived Barriers to COVID-19 Testing
- Motivations to Vaccinate Among Hesitant Adopters of the COVID-19 Vaccine
- Trusted Sources of COVID-19 Vaccine Information among Hesitant Adopters in the United States
Showing 5 of 28 shared publications
Rachel S. Purvis
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
19 shared publications
In database
- Perceived Barriers to COVID-19 Testing
- Motivations to Vaccinate Among Hesitant Adopters of the COVID-19 Vaccine
- Trusted Sources of COVID-19 Vaccine Information among Hesitant Adopters in the United States
- Facilitators to vaccination among hesitant adopters
- COVID-19 Disparities Among Marshallese Pacific Islanders
Showing 5 of 19 shared publications
Ramey Moore
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
16 shared publications
In database
- Motivations to Vaccinate Among Hesitant Adopters of the COVID-19 Vaccine
- Trusted Sources of COVID-19 Vaccine Information among Hesitant Adopters in the United States
- Facilitators to vaccination among hesitant adopters
- “I am hesitant to visit the doctor unless absolutely necessary”: A qualitative study of delayed care, avoidance of care, and telehealth experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic
- The vaccine hesitancy continuum among hesitant adopters of the COVID‐19 vaccine
Showing 5 of 16 shared publications
Jennifer A. Andersen
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
15 shared publications
In database
- COVID‐19 vaccine hesitancy: Race/ethnicity, trust, and fear
- Perceived Barriers to COVID-19 Testing
- COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Experiences of Discrimination Among Black Adults
- COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and racial discrimination among US adults
- Factors associated with telehealth use among adults in the United States: Findings from the 2020 National Health Interview Survey
Showing 5 of 15 shared publications
Brett Rowland
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
12 shared publications
In database
- Hesitant adopters: COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among diverse vaccinated adults in the United States
- Food Pantry Clients’ Needs, Preferences, and Recommendations for Food Pantries: A Qualitative Study
- Telehealth Utilization During COVID-19 Among People with Diagnosed Mental Health Conditions
- Use of Community-Based Participatory Research Partnerships to Reduce COVID-19 Disparities Among Marshallese Pacific Islander and Latino Communities – Benton and Washington Counties, Arkansas, April–December 2020
- Associations between COVID-19 vaccine uptake, race/ethnicity, and political party affiliation
Showing 5 of 12 shared publications
James P. Selig
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
12 shared publications
In database
- COVID‐19 vaccine hesitancy: Race/ethnicity, trust, and fear
- Sociodemographic Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy, Fear of Infection, and Protection Self-Efficacy
- COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Experiences of Discrimination Among Black Adults
- COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and racial discrimination among US adults
- Parent/guardian intentions to vaccinate children against COVID-19 in the United States
Showing 5 of 12 shared publications
Emily Hallgren
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (US)
11 shared publications
- Motivations to Vaccinate Among Hesitant Adopters of the COVID-19 Vaccine
- Trusted Sources of COVID-19 Vaccine Information among Hesitant Adopters in the United States
- Facilitators to vaccination among hesitant adopters
- “I am hesitant to visit the doctor unless absolutely necessary”: A qualitative study of delayed care, avoidance of care, and telehealth experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine decision-making among hesitant adopters in the United States
Showing 5 of 11 shared publications
Sharon Reece
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
11 shared publications
In database
- Motivations to Vaccinate Among Hesitant Adopters of the COVID-19 Vaccine
- COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and racial discrimination among US adults
- Facilitators to vaccination among hesitant adopters
- Hesitant adopters: COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among diverse vaccinated adults in the United States
- “I am hesitant to visit the doctor unless absolutely necessary”: A qualitative study of delayed care, avoidance of care, and telehealth experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic
Showing 5 of 11 shared publications
Sumit K. Shah
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
10 shared publications
In database
- Sociodemographic Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy, Fear of Infection, and Protection Self-Efficacy
- COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Experiences of Discrimination Among Black Adults
- COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and racial discrimination among US adults
- “The Risk Seems Too High”: Thoughts and Feelings about COVID-19 Vaccination
- Parent/guardian intentions to vaccinate children against COVID-19 in the United States
Showing 5 of 10 shared publications
Holly C. Felix
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
8 shared publications
In database
- COVID‐19 vaccine hesitancy: Race/ethnicity, trust, and fear
- Factors associated with telehealth use among adults in the United States: Findings from the 2020 National Health Interview Survey
- Control of type 2 diabetes mellitus during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Assessment of Colorectal Cancer Screening Disparities in U.S. Men and Women Using a Demographically Representative Sample
- Use of Community-Based Participatory Research Partnerships to Reduce COVID-19 Disparities Among Marshallese Pacific Islander and Latino Communities – Benton and Washington Counties, Arkansas, April–December 2020
Showing 5 of 8 shared publications
Christopher R. Long
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (US)
7 shared publications
- COVID‐19 vaccine hesitancy: Race/ethnicity, trust, and fear
- Food Pantry Clients’ Needs, Preferences, and Recommendations for Food Pantries: A Qualitative Study
- Food Pantry Usage Patterns are Associated with Client Sociodemographics and Health
- The Association Between Education and Basic Needs Insecurity for Marshallese During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Undiagnosed Hypertension and Undiagnosed Type 2 Diabetes among Overweight and Obese Marshallese Participants in a Diabetes Prevention Program.
Showing 5 of 7 shared publications
Sheena CarlLee
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
7 shared publications
In database
- Motivations to Vaccinate Among Hesitant Adopters of the COVID-19 Vaccine
- Facilitators to vaccination among hesitant adopters
- Hesitant adopters: COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among diverse vaccinated adults in the United States
- Associations Between General Vaccine Hesitancy and Healthcare Access Among Arkansans
- Hesitant adopters: An examination of hesitancy among adults in Arkansas who have taken the <scp>COVID</scp>‐19 vaccine
Showing 5 of 7 shared publications
Marie‐Rachelle Narcisse
Brown University (US)
7 shared publications
- Higher walkability associated with increased physical activity and reduced obesity among United States adults
- Factors associated with telehealth use among adults in the United States: Findings from the 2020 National Health Interview Survey
- Income variability and incident cardiovascular disease in diabetes: a population-based cohort study
- Assessment of Colorectal Cancer Screening Disparities in U.S. Men and Women Using a Demographically Representative Sample
- Job Flexibility, Job Security, and Mental Health Among US Working Adults
Showing 5 of 7 shared publications
Aaron J. Scott
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (US)
6 shared publications
- COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Experiences of Discrimination Among Black Adults
- Hesitant adopters: COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among diverse vaccinated adults in the United States
- Associations Between General Vaccine Hesitancy and Healthcare Access Among Arkansans
- Hesitant adopters: An examination of hesitancy among adults in Arkansas who have taken the <scp>COVID</scp>‐19 vaccine
- Undiagnosed Hypertension and Undiagnosed Type 2 Diabetes among Overweight and Obese Marshallese Participants in a Diabetes Prevention Program.
Showing 5 of 6 shared publications
Geoffrey M. Curran
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
6 shared publications
In database
- COVID‐19 vaccine hesitancy: Race/ethnicity, trust, and fear
- A qualitative study of older adults' facilitators, barriers, and cues to action to engage in falls prevention using health belief model constructs
- Older Adults’ Perceptions and Recommendations Regarding a Falls Prevention Self-Management Plan Template Based on the Health Belief Model: A Mixed-Methods Study
- Perceptions of HPV vaccination and pharmacist-physician collaboration models to improve HPV vaccination rates
- Reaching late adopters: factors influencing COVID-19 vaccination of Marshallese and Hispanic adults
Showing 5 of 6 shared publications
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