Pearl A McElfish1, Ramey Moore2, Melisa Laelan3, Britni L Ayers1. 1. a Office of Community Health and Research , University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Northwest Campus , Fayetteville , AR , USA. 2. b Department of Anthropology , University of Arkansas , Fayetteville , AR , USA. 3. c Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese , Springdale , AR , USA.
Abstract
CONTEXT: Arkansas currently has the largest Marshallese community in the continental US. The limited research available demonstrates that Marshallese have significant health disparities, with higher rates of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and infectious diseases than the US population. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this paper is 2-fold: (1) to describe the formation and capacity building efforts of a community-based participatory research partnership with the Marshallese community in Arkansas and (2) to describe key findings and lessons learned from 5 years of collaborative research. METHODS: A community-based participatory research approach was implemented to build alliances and improve health disparities in a Marshallese community. RESULTS: Overarching lessons learned from collaboration with the Marshallese community include the: (1) Intensive involvement of Marshallese from multiple sectors of the community and in multiple roles in the research process, (2) Importance of interprofessional teams, (3) Importance of church, (4) Consideration of sex, (5) Importance of family and definition of family, (6) Talk Story and qualitative methods and the (7) Importance of cultural humility. CONCLUSIONS: This research helps fill important gaps in documenting the health disparities and interventions to address those disparities in the Marshallese community.
CONTEXT: Arkansas currently has the largest Marshallese community in the continental US. The limited research available demonstrates that Marshallese have significant health disparities, with higher rates of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and infectious diseases than the US population. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this paper is 2-fold: (1) to describe the formation and capacity building efforts of a community-based participatory research partnership with the Marshallese community in Arkansas and (2) to describe key findings and lessons learned from 5 years of collaborative research. METHODS: A community-based participatory research approach was implemented to build alliances and improve health disparities in a Marshallese community. RESULTS: Overarching lessons learned from collaboration with the Marshallese community include the: (1) Intensive involvement of Marshallese from multiple sectors of the community and in multiple roles in the research process, (2) Importance of interprofessional teams, (3) Importance of church, (4) Consideration of sex, (5) Importance of family and definition of family, (6) Talk Story and qualitative methods and the (7) Importance of cultural humility. CONCLUSIONS: This research helps fill important gaps in documenting the health disparities and interventions to address those disparities in the Marshallese community.
Authors: Michelle L Balli; Tiffany A Dickey; Rachel S Purvis; T Scott Warmack; Sheldon Riklon; Pearl A McElfish Journal: J Racial Ethn Health Disparities Date: 2019-02-08
Authors: Pearl Anna McElfish; Lisa Smith; Karra Sparks; Williamina Ioanna Bing; Sharlynn Lang; Amber Estes; Michael Stephens Journal: Hawaii J Health Soc Welf Date: 2019-11
Authors: Rachel S Purvis; Ramey A Moore; Britni L Ayers; Holly C Felix; Sheldon Riklon; Jennifer A Andersen; Jonell S Hudson; Gail O'Connor; Meetu Kelen; Lee-Ann Noelani Heely-Rolston; Xochitl Shields; Pearl A McElfish Journal: Sci Diabetes Self Manag Care Date: 2022-01-13
Authors: Brett Rowland; Cari A Bogulski; Don E Willis; Aaron J Scott; Erin E Gloster; Jennifer A Andersen Journal: J Agromedicine Date: 2021-11-15 Impact factor: 1.992
Authors: Pearl A McElfish; Rachel S Purvis; Monica K Esquivel; Ka'imi A Sinclair; Claire Townsend; Nicola L Hawley; Lauren K Haggard-Duff; Joseph Keawe'aimoku Kaholokula Journal: Curr Diab Rep Date: 2019-03-18 Impact factor: 4.810
Authors: Monica L Wang; Pearl A McElfish; Christopher R Long; Morgan S Lee; Zoran Bursac; Andrea T Kozak; Linda K Ko; Noel Kulik; Karen Hye-Cheon Kim Yeary Journal: Ethn Health Date: 2019-07-10 Impact factor: 2.772
Authors: Pearl A McElfish; Brett Rowland; Sheldon Riklon; Nia Aitaoto; Ka'imi A Sinclair; Shumona Ima; Susan A Kadlubar; Peter A Goulden; Jonell S Hudson; Sammie Mamis; Christopher R Long Journal: Policy Polit Nurs Pract Date: 2019-09-19