About

Elizabeth Jacobs is a Professor Emeritus of Epidemiology at the University of Arizona, affiliated with the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and the University of Arizona Cancer Center. She is a cancer and nutritional epidemiologist whose research focuses on the roles of nutrition and environmental factors in cancer prevention. Dr. Jacobs is currently the Principal Investigator of an R01 study investigating the heterogeneity of treatment effects of selenium supplementation for chemoprevention. Her academic background includes a PhD in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Arizona obtained in 2001, and a Master of Science in Foods and Nutrition from Purdue University earned in 1996. She has contributed to the understanding of public health issues related to environmental health, nutrition, and cancer, and has published extensively on topics such as the impact of air pollution, dietary factors, and genetic interactions on cancer risk.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Internal medicine
• Sociology
• Environmental health
• Pediatrics
• Immunology
• Gerontology
• Psychiatry
• Nursing
• Family medicine

Selected publications

• 247 Subspecialist utilization for pediatric asthma

  Journal of Clinical and Translational Science · 2025-03-25

  articleOpen access

  Objectives/Goals: Some children with asthma benefit from care from asthma specialists: allergist/immunologists or pulmonologists. However, a limited supply of specialists poses access problems for some children. Our objective was to describe the state of specialist care for pediatric asthma in Maine. Methods/Study Population: Using Maine all-payer claims data for April 2018–April 2021, we identified children with asthma meeting criteria for subspecialist referral based on NIH Expert Panel Report criteria. We determined which of these children had encounters with an allergist-immunologist or pediatric pulmonologist during the study period and performed logistic regressions to determine what demographic traits were associated with receipt of care. Results/Anticipated Results: Among children meeting criteria for specialists referral, 33% had an encounter with an asthma specialist. Specialist encounters were associated with younger age (p<0.001) and male sex (p = 0.003). Encounters were negatively associated with Medicaid insurance (versus commercial, p<0.001) and living in more rural areas (RUCA codes 4–10, p<0.001), lower childhood opportunity index (high or less, <0.001), and longer travel time to pediatric asthma specialists in Maine (<0.001). Discussion/Significance of Impact: Specialist care for children with complex or severe asthma is an evidence-based practice that is not equally accessible to all children in Maine. This may restrict their access to specific asthma therapies such as allergic desensitization and monoclonal antibodies.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Concordance between self-reported SARS-CoV-2 positivity and laboratory-confirmed positivity

  PLoS ONE · 2025-10-17

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  As the use and availability of at-home antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2 infection have increased, the number of individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infections that are reported to state COVID-19 surveillance systems have decreased. Self-reported infection dates are critical to accurately track incidence and outbreaks of COVID-19 and for continued research on illness progression; however, the reliability of self-reported infection dates is unknown to date. To assess accuracy of self-reported test dates, we utilized self-reported SARS-CoV-2 testing data from the Arizona CoVHORT Study (CoVHORT) and laboratory-confirmed testing data collected by the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) and calculated the difference in days between dates to examine their percent agreement. We used logistic regression to assess if any participant characteristics were associated with self-reporting a test date >7 days different than the laboratory confirmed date. A total of 1,900 CoVHORT participants aged 18 years or older were included in our analyses. Most participants (82.5%) reported a test date within 7 days of the laboratory confirmed date of their illness. Increasing age and number of weeks between testing positive and self-reporting the test date were both significantly associated with a difference of 7 days or greater between dates. There was an 84% increase (OR=1.84, 95% CI = 1.11-3.06) in likelihood of inaccurately self-reporting their SARS-CoV-2 test date for participants aged 55 years and older and a 2% increase (OR=1.02, 95% CI = 1.02-1.03) for each elapsed week following their SARS-CoV-2 test. We observed an 82% percent agreement (dates within 7 days of each other) between self-reported and laboratory confirmed test dates, suggesting that self-reported SARS-CoV-2 test dates are sufficient for identifying and tracking Long COVID or Post-COVID Conditions when a laboratory-confirmed test date is not available. However, increasing age and greater time between test date and date of self-report were found to decrease the agreement between self-reported and laboratory confirmed test dates.

  PublisherDOI

• Tracking the burden, distribution, and impact of Post-COVID conditions in diverse populations for children, adolescents, and adults (Track PCC): passive and active surveillance protocols

  BMC Public Health · 2024-08-29 · 5 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Track PCC includes five geographic surveillance sites to conduct standardized population-based surveillance to estimate and track Post-COVID Conditions (PCC) by age, sex, race/ethnicity, geographic area, severity of initial infection, and risk factors among persons with evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection (based on the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologist [CSTE] case definitions for confirmed cases or laboratory-confirmed evidence of infection). METHODS: The study will estimate the incidence, prevalence, including temporal trends, and duration and severity of PCC symptoms, among children, adolescents, and adults. PCCs include a broad range of symptoms and conditions that continue or develop after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 illness. Surveillance includes both passive and active components for diverse populations in Arizona, Indiana, and Utah as well as the Bronx Borough, NY, and part of Philadelphia County, PA. Passive surveillance will utilize electronic health records and health information exchanges within each site catchment area to longitudinally follow persons with COVID-19 to estimate PCC occurring at least 30 days after acute COVID-19 illness. Active surveillance will utilize self-report of PCCs from detailed surveys of persons ages 7 years and older with evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the past 3 months. Respondents will complete follow-up surveys at 6-, 12- and 18-months post-infection. DISCUSSION: These data can help identify which groups are most affected by PCC, and what health differences among demographic groups exist, as well as indicate potential barriers to care. These additional levels of granularity can inform public health action and help direct needed clinical care for patients.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Preferences and Demand for Mosquito Control among Dengue-Endemic Communities in Peñuelas, Puerto Rico: An Application of the Best-Worst Choice Model

  American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · 2024-01-23 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of dengue virus and threatens 3.9 billion people living in many tropical and subtropical countries. Prevention and reduction of dengue and other Aedes-borne viruses, including Zika and chikungunya, requires control of mosquito populations. Community mobilization and input are essential components of vector control efforts. Many vector control campaigns do not engage communities prior to implementation, leading to program failure. Those that do often conduct basic knowledge, attitude, and practice surveys that are not designed to explicitly elicit preferences. Here, we applied a novel stated preference elicitation tool, best-worst choice, to understand preferences, willingness to participate, and willingness to pay for mosquito control in dengue-endemic communities of Peñuelas, Puerto Rico. Findings revealed that the community preferred mosquito control programs that are 1) applied at the neighborhood level, 2) implemented by the local government, and 3) focused specifically on reducing disease transmission (e.g., dengue) instead of mosquito nuisance. Programs targeting the reduction of disease transmission and higher educational level of participants increased willingness to participate. Participants were willing to pay an average of $72 annually to have a program targeting the reduction of diseases such as dengue. This study serves as a model to engage communities in the design of mosquito control programs and improve stakeholders' decision-making.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine HIV care and cervical cancer screening in North-Central Nigeria

  BMC Women s Health · 2023-11-30 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  INTRODUCTION: Cervical cancer is the fourth most diagnosed cancer among women globally, with much of the burden being carried by women in limited-resource settings often worsened by the high prevalence of HIV. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted organized screening efforts and HIV management regimens worldwide, and the impact of these disruptions have not been examined in these settings. The purpose of this paper is to describe whether uptake of cervical cancer screening and HIV management changed before, during, and since the COVID-19 pandemic in North-Central Nigeria. METHODS: Longitudinal healthcare administration data for women who obtained care between January 2018 and December 2021 were abstracted from the AIDS Prevention Initiative Nigeria (APIN) clinic at Jos University Teaching Hospital. Patient demographics, pap smear outcomes, and HIV management indicators such as viral load and treatment regimen were abstracted and assessed using descriptive and regression analyses. All analyses were conducted comparing two years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the four quarters in 2020, and the year following COVID-19 restrictions. RESULTS: We included 2304 women in the study, most of whom were between 44 and 47 years of age, were married, and had completed secondary education. About 85% of women were treated with first line highly active retroviral therapy (HAART). Additionally, 84% of women screened using pap smear had normal results. The average age of women who sought care at APIN was significantly lower in Quarter 3, 2020 (p = 0.015) compared to the other periods examined in this study. Conversely, the average viral load for women who sought care during that period was significantly higher in adjusted models (p < 0.0001). Finally, we determined that the average viral load at each clinic visit was significantly associated with the period in which women sought care. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, we found that COVID-19 pandemic mitigation efforts significantly influenced women's ability to obtain cervical cancer screening and routine HIV management at APIN clinic. This study buttresses the challenges in accessing routine and preventive care during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in low-resource settings. Further research is needed to determine how these disruptions to care may influence long-term health in this and similar at-risk populations.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Understanding low COVID-19 booster uptake among US adults

  Vaccine · 2023-09-04 · 29 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Supplementary Tables 1-2 from Genetic Polymorphisms in Vitamin D Receptor &lt;i&gt;VDR/RXRA&lt;/i&gt; Influence the Likelihood of Colon Adenoma Recurrence

  2023-03-30

  supplementary-materialsOpen accessSenior author

  Supplementary Tables 1-2 from Genetic Polymorphisms in Vitamin D Receptor &lt;i&gt;VDR/RXRA&lt;/i&gt; Influence the Likelihood of Colon Adenoma Recurrence

  PublisherDOI

• Supplementary Table 1 from Genetic Variation in the Vitamin D Receptor (&lt;i&gt;VDR&lt;/i&gt;) and the Vitamin D–Binding Protein (&lt;i&gt;GC&lt;/i&gt;) and Risk for Colorectal Cancer: Results from the Colon Cancer Family Registry

  2023-03-31

  supplementary-materialsOpen access

  Supplementary Table 1 from Genetic Variation in the Vitamin D Receptor (&lt;i&gt;VDR&lt;/i&gt;) and the Vitamin D–Binding Protein (&lt;i&gt;GC&lt;/i&gt;) and Risk for Colorectal Cancer: Results from the Colon Cancer Family Registry

  PublisherDOI

• Supplementary Table 1 from Genetic Variation in the Vitamin D Receptor (&lt;i&gt;VDR&lt;/i&gt;) and the Vitamin D–Binding Protein (&lt;i&gt;GC&lt;/i&gt;) and Risk for Colorectal Cancer: Results from the Colon Cancer Family Registry

  2023-03-31

  supplementary-materialsOpen access

  Supplementary Table 1 from Genetic Variation in the Vitamin D Receptor (&lt;i&gt;VDR&lt;/i&gt;) and the Vitamin D–Binding Protein (&lt;i&gt;GC&lt;/i&gt;) and Risk for Colorectal Cancer: Results from the Colon Cancer Family Registry

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Characterizing Dietary Advanced Glycation End-Product (dAGE) Exposure and the Relationship to Colorectal Adenoma Recurrence: A Secondary Analysis

  Nutrients · 2023-02-23 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Limited studies have evaluated the association between dietary advanced glycation end-product AGE (dAGEs) intake and cancer risk; however, no studies have addressed adenoma risk or recurrence. The objective of this study was to determine an association between dietary AGEs and adenoma recurrence. A secondary analysis was conducted using an existing dataset from a pooled sample of participants in two adenoma prevention trials. Participants completed a baseline Arizona Food Frequency Questionnaire (AFFQ) to estimate AGE exposure. NƐ- carboxymethyl-lysine (CML)-AGE values were assigned to quantify foods in the AFFQ using a published AGE database, and participants’ exposure was evaluated as a CML-AGE (kU/1000 kcal) intake. Regression models were run to determine the relationship between CML-AGE intake and adenoma recurrence. The sample included 1976 adults with a mean age of 67.2 y ± 7.34. The average CML-AGE intake was 5251.1 ± 1633.1 (kU/1000 kcal), ranging between 4960 and 17032.4 (kU/1000 kcal). A higher intake of CML-AGE had no significant association with the odds of adenoma recurrence [OR(95% CI) = 1.02 (0.71,1.48)] compared to participants with a lower intake. In this sample, CML-AGE intake was not associated with adenoma recurrence. Future research is needed and should be expanded to examine the intake of different types of dAGEs with consideration for the direct measurement of AGE.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant K07CA106269

  NIH · $665k · 2010

• NIH Grant R03CA110814

  NIH · $112k · 2006

• Selenium Chemoprevention: Benefits and Harms

  NIH · $6.8M · 2011–2022

• NIH Grant R01CA134460

  NIH · $634k · 2012

• Vitamin D Status, Genetic Variation in Vitamin D Signaling and Metabolism, and Ri

  NIH · $1.5M · 2010–2017

Frequent coauthors

• Marı́a Elena Martı́nez

  235 shared

• Patricia A. Thompson

  212 shared

• John A. Baron

  190 shared

• Erin L. Ashbeck

  University of Arizona

  177 shared

• David S. Alberts

  University of Arizona

  154 shared

• Peter Lance

  University of Arizona

  142 shared

• E. Robert Greenberg

  136 shared

• Peter W. Jurutka

  104 shared

Awards & honors

• Dean's Fund for Excellence
• Dean's Annual Fund Application
• Dean's Students Research Funds
• Dean's Strategic Initiatives and Innovation Fund
• Alumni Giving Circle