Match tier
Listed
Presence
Current · Arkansas
Last published
2026
Sources
OpenAlex · ORCID
Refreshed
2026-10-08
Pearl A. McElfish
Federal Grant PI
High Impact
Director
Also affiliated: University of Nebraska–Lincoln (2022); University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (2015–2024); Translational Research Institute (2018); University of Hawaii System (2015); California State University, Northridge (2024); University of Tennessee Health Science Center (2015–2019); University of Utah (2019); California State University Los Angeles (2024); University of Arkansas Medical Center (2025); University of Arkansas System (2022); University of Illinois Chicago (2015); Saint Louis University (2018); Washington State University (2019)
College of Northwest Arkansas UAMS Campus
37 h-index
371 pubs
5,082 cited
Research Areas
Biomedical Subjects
Biography and Research Information
OverviewAI-generated summary
Pearl A. McElfish directs the College of Northwest Arkansas UAMS Campus at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Her research focuses on public health, with a particular emphasis on health disparities and community-driven research agendas. McElfish has led significant federal grant-funded projects totaling over $5 million, including initiatives focused on diabetes management in rural populations and improving diabetes self-management among Marshallese immigrants. She also leads the MaRCH Center of Biomedical Research Excellence and a project assessing community health worker roles in postpartum care.
Her scholarly work includes numerous publications addressing critical public health issues. Recent publications explore COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, examining factors such as race, ethnicity, trust, and fear, as well as motivations and perceived barriers to testing. Earlier work investigated health care access for Marshallese migrants and explored the prevalence of diabetes and hypertension within this community. McElfish's research consistently aims to understand and address health inequities, particularly within vulnerable and minority populations.
With an h-index of 37 and over 5,000 citations across 362 publications, McElfish is recognized as a highly cited researcher. She actively collaborates with colleagues at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, including Don E. Willis, Rachel S. Purvis, Ramey Moore, and Jennifer A. Andersen, with whom she has co-authored numerous publications.
Metrics
- h-index: 37
- Publications: 371
- Citations: 5,082
Positions
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Director 2012–presentUniversity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Northwest Arkansas UAMS Campus Institutional directory
Selected Publications
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Optimizing the Postpartum Period to Support Lifelong Health for Women with Obesity (2026)
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Integrating Community Health Workers Into Clinical Settings (2026)
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Disparities in Prenatal Care Utilization in the United States (2025)
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Gender disparities in job flexibility, job security, psychological distress, work absenteeism, and work presenteeism among U.S. adults (2025)
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Disparities in prenatal care utilization among racial/ethnic and nativity subgroups in the United States (2025)
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Sociodemographic factors associated with prenatal care utilization in Arkansas, United States (2025)
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Gestational weight gain and increased risk of cesarean delivery across body mass index categories (2025)
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Pediatric HPV vaccination: Provider recommendations matter among hesitant parents (2024)
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Hesitant but vaccinated: Lessons learned from hesitant adopters (2024)
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Influences on COVID-19 booster uptake among adults intending to receive a booster: a qualitative study (2024)
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Physical activity among cancer survivors: do neighborhood walkability and metropolitan size play a role? (2024)
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Income variability and incident cardiovascular disease in diabetes: a population-based cohort study (2024)
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Non-use and inadequate use of cervical cancer screening among a representative sample of women in the United States (2024)
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Job Flexibility, Job Security, and Mental Health Among US Working Adults (2024)
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Association of the COVID-19 Pandemic With Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Receipt Among Pregnant Individuals: United States, 2016–2022 (2023)
Federal Grants 4 $5,164,893 total
NIH
Contact PI
Sep 2025 - Aug 2027
CARE PATH Community Health Worker (CHW) Assessment for Postpartum Health
NIH
Contact PI
Aug 2025 - May 2030
NIH
Contact PI
Sep 2020 - Jun 2026
Home Food Delivery for Diabetes Management in Patients of Rural Clinics
NIH
Contact PI
Jul 2019 - Feb 2026
Addressing Marshallese Immigrant Barriers to Diabetes Self-Management through Family DSMES
Grants & Funding
As listed on this researcher's institutional profile. Federal awards with verified records are shown above.
- 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
- Diabetes Medicine Adherence in Marshallese Patients UAMS College of Medicine Principal Investigator
- Baba Lejonron Program DHHS - Administration for Children & Families Principal Investigator
- Delivering HOPE (Helping Women Optimize Prenatal Equity) Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Principal Investigator
- Family Based Diabetes Self-Management Education Outcomes In Comparison to Standard Diabetes Self Management Education- Resubmission Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Principal Investigator
- Ajjmuurur Baamle Family Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) Program DHHS - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health Principal Investigator
- McElfish - Reach Out and Connect (ROaC) Program Centers for Disease Control & Prevention Principal Investigator
- Comparative evaluation of Telehealth Multi-Component Optimal Model (MOM) of postpartum care among rural, low-income, and diverse women Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Co-Principal Investigator
- Reducing Intake of Sodium for Everyone - Continuation - Continuation - Continuation - Continuation Centers for Disease Control & Prevention Principal Investigator
- Connecting our Neighborhoods Need for Enhanced and Coordinated Testing to Achieve Equity: CoNNECT to Achieve Equality COVID NIH/National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities Principal Investigator
- Marshallese: Alternate Surveillance for COVID-19 in a Unique Population NIH/Nat. Inst. of General Medical Sciences via Washington State University Principal Investigator
- Building research capacity for cancer disparities research with community-clinic partnerships in rural African American impoverished counties NIH/Nat. Cancer Institute via Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Principal Investigator
- McElfish - Reach Out and Connect (ROaC) Program - Supplement - TRACKSFP54731 Centers for Disease Control & Prevention Principal Investigator
- Community Engagement Research Alliance (CEAL) 2023-2024 Renewal NIH/Nat. Heart, Lung & Blood Institute via Westat Principal Investigator
- Evaluation of the feasibility and effectiveness of Family DSMES in RMI UAMS Internal Research Awards Principal Investigator
- Center for Research, Health and Society NIH Co-Investigator
- Benton County REACH Covid Health Literacy DHHS - Office of Minority Health via Benton County Government Principal Investigator
- Implementation of Family Model DSME in an Underserved Marshallese Population in a Clinical Setting UAMS Intramural Grant (CTSA) Principal Investigator
- Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH): 2017 - 2018 Supplement - Resubmission Centers for Disease Control & Prevention Principal Investigator
- AR Delta HOPE (Helping Obtain Perinatal Equity) Health Resources & Services Administration Principal Investigator
- Implementing a Guidelines-Based M-Health Intervention for High Risk Asthma Patients UAMS College of Medicine Principal Investigator
- Transforming Health outReach for Infants and children (P-5) through Vital community Engagement (THRIVE P-5) Health Resources & Services Administration Principal Investigator
- Home Food Delivery for Diabetes Management in Patients of Rural Clinics - Year 5 Continuation NIH/Nat. Inst. of Nursing Research Principal Investigator
- PCORI Engagement Award: Knowledge, Training and Development, and Dissemination Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Principal Investigator
- Comparative Effectiveness of the Diabetes Prevention Program Lifestyle Intervention (DPP-LI) in a US Marshallese Community Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Principal Investigator
- Expanding Translational Research in Arkansas NIH Co-Investigator
- Development of a Rural Training Track in Carroll County, Arkansas Health Resources & Services Administration Principal Investigator
- The E-Health Transformation Cluster US Department of Commerce Principal Investigator
- COVID-19 PREVENT (Partnership for Rapid Engagement to enhance Vaccine uptake for Everyone: Neighbors working Together) Project NIH/Nat. Heart, Lung & Blood Institute via Westat Principal Investigator
- Development, Validation, and Implementation of an Opioid Risk Prediction Tool UAMS Intramural Grant (CTSA) Principal Investigator
- Community Health Workers Reaching Everyone to Achieve Community Health Benton County Government Principal Investigator
- The Vaccine REACH (Reaching Everyone to Achieve Community Health) project Health Resources & Services Administration Principal Investigator
- FOOD AS MEDICINE: ADDRESSING SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH (FOOD INSECURITY) TO EFFECT CLINICAL OUTCOMES (CEAL) Westat via Westat Principal Investigator
- Engaging Cooperative Sites for Trial Acceleration, Trust, Innovation, and Capability (ECSTATIC) NIH/National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences via Vanderbilt University Principal Investigator
- Cancer prevention and oncology services near our community for effective cancer prevent and treatment. Union County CONNECT. Health Resources & Services Administration Principal Investigator
- PPHF 2014: Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) - financed in part by Prevention and Public Health Funding FOA DP14-1419PPHF14 Centers for Disease Control & Prevention Co-Principal Investigator
- Arkansas Transforming Maternal Health (TMaH) Model DHHS - Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services via Arkansas Department of Health & Human Services Principal Investigator
Collaboration Network
Top Collaborators
Christopher R. Long
University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (US)
56 shared publications
- COVID‐19 vaccine hesitancy: Race/ethnicity, trust, and fear
- Diabetes and Hypertension in Marshallese Adults: Results from Faith-Based Health Screenings
- Qualitative study of participants' perceptions and preferences regarding research dissemination
- Health research participants’ preferences for receiving research results
- Health researchers’ experiences, perceptions and barriers related to sharing study results with participants
Showing 5 of 56 shared publications
Rachel S. Purvis
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
55 shared publications
In database
- Perceived Barriers to COVID-19 Testing
- Motivations to Vaccinate Among Hesitant Adopters of the COVID-19 Vaccine
- Qualitative study of participants' perceptions and preferences regarding research dissemination
- Community‐Driven Research Agenda to Reduce Health Disparities
- Trusted Sources of COVID-19 Vaccine Information among Hesitant Adopters in the United States
Showing 5 of 55 shared publications
Brett Rowland
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
50 shared publications
In database
- Diabetes and Hypertension in Marshallese Adults: Results from Faith-Based Health Screenings
- Integrating Interprofessional Education and Cultural Competency Training to Address Health Disparities
- Comparative Effectiveness and Maintenance of Diabetes Self-Management Education Interventions for Marshallese Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Outcomes of disease prevention and management interventions in food pantries and food banks: a scoping review
- Hesitant adopters: COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among diverse vaccinated adults in the United States
Showing 5 of 50 shared publications
Don E. Willis
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
50 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 50 shared publications
James P. Selig
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
34 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 34 shared publications
Jennifer A. Andersen
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
34 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 34 shared publications
Holly C. Felix
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
32 shared publications
In database
- COVID‐19 vaccine hesitancy: Race/ethnicity, trust, and fear
- Comparative Effectiveness and Maintenance of Diabetes Self-Management Education Interventions for Marshallese Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Race, Nativity, and Sex Disparities in Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Among Young Adults in the USA
- Factors associated with telehealth use among adults in the United States: Findings from the 2020 National Health Interview Survey
- Assessment of Colorectal Cancer Screening Disparities in U.S. Men and Women Using a Demographically Representative Sample
Showing 5 of 32 shared publications
Ramey Moore
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
31 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
- Using CBPR to address health disparities with the Marshallese community in Arkansas
- Integrating Interprofessional Education and Cultural Competency Training to Address Health Disparities
- Facilitators to vaccination among hesitant adopters
Showing 5 of 31 shared publications
Marie‐Rachelle Narcisse
Brown University
30 shared publications
In database
- Higher walkability associated with increased physical activity and reduced obesity among United States adults
- Comparative Effectiveness and Maintenance of Diabetes Self-Management Education Interventions for Marshallese Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- Race, Nativity, and Sex Disparities in Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Among Young Adults in the USA
- 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
Showing 5 of 30 shared publications
Britni L. Ayers
University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
27 shared publications
In database
- Using CBPR to address health disparities with the Marshallese community in Arkansas
- Best Practices for Community-Engaged Research with Pacific Islander Communities in the US and USAPI: A Scoping Review
- Structural and Socio-cultural Barriers to Prenatal Care in a US Marshallese Community
- Breast-feeding perceptions, beliefs and experiences of Marshallese migrants: an exploratory study
- Leveraging community-based participatory research capacity to recruit Pacific Islanders into a genetics study
Showing 5 of 27 shared publications
Sheldon Riklon
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
23 shared publications
In database
- Diabetes and Hypertension in Marshallese Adults: Results from Faith-Based Health Screenings
- Interpretive policy analysis: Marshallese COFA migrants and the Affordable Care Act
- COVID-19 Disparities Among Marshallese Pacific Islanders
- Cultural Adaptation of Diabetes Self-Management Education for Marshallese Residing in the United States: Lessons Learned in Curriculum Development
- Leveraging community-based participatory research capacity to recruit Pacific Islanders into a genetics study
Showing 5 of 23 shared publications
Emily Hallgren
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (US)
20 shared publications
- Motivations to Vaccinate Among Hesitant Adopters of the COVID-19 Vaccine
- Effect of US Health Policies on Health Care Access for Marshallese Migrants
- Trusted Sources of COVID-19 Vaccine Information among Hesitant Adopters in the United States
- Barriers and Opportunities
- Health Beliefs of Marshallese Regarding Type 2 Diabetes
Showing 5 of 20 shared publications
Sharon Reece
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
19 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 19 shared publications
Jonell Hudson
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
15 shared publications
In database
- Diabetes and Hypertension in Marshallese Adults: Results from Faith-Based Health Screenings
- Community‐Driven Research Agenda to Reduce Health Disparities
- Integrating Interprofessional Education and Cultural Competency Training to Address Health Disparities
- Family Model of Diabetes Education With a Pacific Islander Community
- Comparative Effectiveness and Maintenance of Diabetes Self-Management Education Interventions for Marshallese Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Showing 5 of 15 shared publications
Sheena CarlLee
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
15 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 COVID ‐19 vaccine
Showing 5 of 15 shared publications
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