About

R. Anna Hayward, PhD, MSW, is an Associate Professor at the Stony Brook University School of Social Welfare. Her research focuses on evaluating programs serving children and families, father involvement, developing services for men and fathers, children and families affected by incarceration, environmental justice, and global environmental health. She has received numerous grants and awards, including a Fulbright Senior Scholar award to Spain for responding to climate change and environmental injustice, and has been involved in projects related to youth and community resilience, parent and child trauma, and environmental disaster response. Her work emphasizes understanding and improving father involvement, especially among low-income men, and addressing issues related to family violence and mental health. She has contributed to the field through her research on gender differences in juvenile gangs, the lived experiences of children with incarcerated parents, and the political determinants of disaster risk, including the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Dr. Hayward's scholarship integrates social work practice with environmental justice, international social work education, and community-engaged research, making significant contributions to understanding the intersection of social issues and environmental challenges.

Research topics

• Political Science
• Psychology
• Medicine
• Sociology
• Psychiatry
• Social psychology
• Environmental resource management
• Environmental health
• Environmental science
• Economic growth
• Ecology
• Transport engineering
• Geography
• Engineering
• Clinical psychology
• Gender studies
• Public relations
• Economics

Selected publications

• Settler Colonialism, Ecocide, and the Climate Crisis in Occupied Palestine: Environmental Injustice, Health Inequities, and the Imperative for Public Health Social Work

  Social Work in Public Health · 2026-02-11 · 1 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Environmental devastation in occupied Palestine is a direct outcome of settler colonialism, which systematically dispossesses Indigenous Palestinians of land, resources, and sovereignty. Land confiscation, water diversion, and the deliberate destruction of native species constitute forms of ecocide that exacerbates economic inequality and worsen public health crises, including food and water insecurity, toxic exposure, disease, and prolonged displacement. The climate crisis is further intensified by military activities, including the prolonged bombing of Gaza, which devastate ecosystems, deplete fisheries, erode coastlines and arable land. This paper examines the intersection of settler colonialism, environmental degradation, and health inequities in occupied Palestine, emphasizing how olive grove destruction, land and water contamination, and military violence produce direct social and health harms for an already oppressed population. We call for public health social work to advance environmental justice, health equity, and decolonial practices through advocacy, global solidarity, and centering Indigenous Palestinian voices.

  PublisherDOI

• Adam Ant, John Lydon and Jordan: Punk stars on film

  2023-01-01

  other1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• “Todo ha sido a pulmón”: Community organizing after disaster in Puerto Rico

  2022-11-02

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• ‘It’s a man’s world’: a gender-equitable scoping review of gender, transportation, and work

  Ergonomics · 2022 · 34 citations

  • Sociology
  • Political Science
  • Sociology

  This paper seeks to identify the gender issues related to transport and work. A scoping review provides key factors that detail how women are disadvantaged by current transport systems. It presents gaps in knowledge that future research needs to fill. Women must be included in key decisions within the transport sector.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Contrast media-induced hypothyroidism

  Endocrine Abstracts · 2022-10-17 · 1 citations

  article

  Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology ISSN 1470-3947 (print) | ISSN 1479-6848 (online)

  PublisherDOI

• Impact of extreme weather events on Sub-Saharan African child and adolescent mental health: The implications of a systematic review of sparse research findings

  ISEE Conference Abstracts · 2022-09-18 · 1 citations

  reviewOpen access

  Background and aim: Over the past 10−15 years there has been increasing attention to the potential impact of extreme weather events (EWE) on children’s mental health. Because sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is experiencing an increase in the frequency and severity of these events, we decided it was necessary to conduct a systematic review. The focus was to examine research findings on EWE direct and indirect impacts on the mental health of children and adolescents living in SSA to inform protective adaptation strategies and promote resilience. Methods: In 2020 we conducted a systematic review in line with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and a grey literature review. The systematic review and grey literature search identified 1342 studies. Results: The titles and abstracts of 858 articles and grey literature were assessed for eligibility (e.g., mental health outcomes for children and adolescents linked to exposure to an EWE in SSA) with 21 articles identified for full-text review. Of these, only two were eligible for full review. Both articles focused on extreme flooding events and associated psychological distress. Several protective factors were identified (e.g., age, sex, encouragement, and shared hardship) that ameliorated the psychological distress. Discussion: There is an alarming lack of research focusing specifically on the mental health of youth exposed to EWE in SSA, where EWE, especially extreme heat, flooding and droughts, continue to increase. The indication is that children and adolescents living in SSA are at risk of mental health impacts such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. With the severe shortage of SSA-specific research, SSA decision-makers, planners and adaptation strategy developers are not guided by local and regional evidence and may be missing areas of concern and opportunities for prevention. KW: Extreme weather events, Children, Adolescents, Mental health, Climate change, sub-Saharan Africa, Resilience, Vulnerability, Depression, PTSD, well-being

  PublisherDOI

• 1304 NIPEs on NICU – Mitigations against the 72 hours performance threshold

  2022-08-01 · 2 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  <h3>Aims</h3> The Newborn and Infant Physical Examination (NIPE) is an essential screening test for conditions present at birth. With early identification there is an observed decreased morbidity and mortality in the infant population. This audit aimed to determine the reasons for delayed completion of NIPE after 72 hours of birth in the newborn population admitted to a tertiary Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). <h3>Methods</h3> The NIPE screening proforma of 22 babies admitted to NICU between 02/11/2020 and 07/12/2020 were reviewed. All admissions were included in the audit, with exception of referrals and those who passed away within 24 hours of admission. Proformas were reviewed by the same investigator, that avoided communication with NICU staff to minimize proformas completeness due to awareness. <h3>Results</h3> The audit shows 23% of babies had their NIPE completed within 72 hours of life as per RCPCH recommendations. The most common reasons for an incomplete newborn examination were non-invasive ventilation (31.8%) and invasive ventilation (22.7%) (figure 1). The most common non-examined parts documented at 72 hours were the eyes (15 babies), the red reflexes (10 babies), followed by palate, hips and face (figure 2). Completeness was most likely associated to de-escalation of care. <h3>Conclusion</h3> NIPE is incomplete at 72 hours of life in 77% of babies. A Wales Neonatal Network Audit is proposed to determine adjusted performance thresholds for NIPEs conducted on NICU in advance to the proposed Newborn and Infant Physical Examination Cymru (NIPEC).

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Validation of the Substance Abuse Scale of the Personal and Relationships Profile

  Social Work Research · 2021-10-01 · 2 citations

  article

  Abstract There have been limited measurement studies of the substance abuse scale of the Personal and Relationships Profile (PRP) and the impact of social desirability on alcohol and drug use reporting. This study aimed to (a) model the factor structure of the eight-item substance abuse scale of the PRP and (b) examine the relationship of substance use factors with sociodemographic variables—race, income, age, marital status—and social desirability on substance use reporting among a sample of low-income fathers. The study included secondary data analysis of 665 fathers, who participated in a fatherhood program between 2011 and 2015. The two-factor model with the addition of two error covariances exhibited acceptable fit to the data. Sociodemographic characteristics were significantly associated with alcohol and drug use among the sample with social desirability being the strongest predictor of lower alcohol and drug use reporting. Findings suggest that alcohol and drugs are distinct constructs that should be assessed separately, despite being correlated. In social work practice and research, the influence of social desirability in reporting should be accounted for when assessing substance use.

  PublisherDOI

• Coparenting communication and hybrid masculinity in a fatherhood program

  Family Relations · 2021-11-19 · 8 citations

  article

  Abstract Objective The objective of this study was to examine how involvement in a responsible fatherhood program affected participants' perceptions of masculinity and coparenting communication. Background Responsible fatherhood programs emphasize the importance of being a nurturing and emotionally expressive father, challenging norms of hegemonic masculinity. This study examined how fathers described this hybrid masculinity and its impact on coparenting communication. Method Thematic analysis of 37 semistructured in‐depth interviews with a racially diverse sample of men enrolled in a responsible fatherhood program was conducted. Multiple investigators, researcher reflexivity, and an audit trail enhanced credibility, transferability, and dependability of the findings. Results Fathers reported three types of communication with the mothers of their child(ren): confrontation, detachment, and engaged perspective‐taking. The latter approaches were learned in the fatherhood program. Fathers described several beliefs and skills affecting these approaches, including the importance of fatherhood, modeling effective communication, controlling one's emotions, and listening and speaking respectfully. Conclusion Participation in the fatherhood program was useful in deescalating negative interactions and improving communication; however, beliefs about essential gender differences permeated participants' narratives. Implications Future programming for fathers should include curricula and peer mentoring to challenge norms of traditional masculinity and encourage multiple forms of egalitarian coparenting communication.

  PublisherDOI

• Impact of extreme weather events on Sub-Saharan African child and adolescent mental health: The implications of a systematic review of sparse research findings✰

  The Journal of Climate Change and Health · 2021 · 25 citations

  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Psychiatry

  Over the past 10–15 years there has been increasing attention to the potential impact of extreme weather events (EWE) on children's mental health. Because sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is experiencing an increase in the frequency and severity of these events, we decided it was necessary to conduct a systematic review. The focus was to examine research findings on the direct and indirect impacts of EWE on the mental health of children and adolescents living in SSA to inform protective adaptation strategies and promote resilience. In 2020 we conducted a systematic review in line with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and a review of the grey literature. The systematic review and grey literature search identified 1342 studies. The titles and abstracts of 858 articles and grey literature were assessed for eligibility (e.g., mental health outcomes for children and adolescents linked to exposure to an EWE in SSA) with 21 articles identified for full-text review. Of these, only two were eligible for full review. Both articles focused on extreme flooding events and associated psychological distress. Several protective factors were identified (e.g., age, sex, encouragement, and shared hardship) that ameliorated the psychological distress. There is an alarming lack of research focusing specifically on the mental health of youth exposed to EWE in SSA, where EWE, especially extreme heat, flooding and droughts, continue to increase. The indication is that children and adolescents living in SSA are at risk of mental health impacts such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. With the severe shortage of SSA-specific research, SSA decision-makers, planners and adaptation strategy developers are not guided by local and regional evidence and may be missing areas of concern and opportunities for prevention.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Ruth A. Etzel

  George Washington University

  6 shared

• Jerome A. Paulson

  5 shared

• Shari E. Miller

  4 shared

• Amy C. Hammock

  Stony Brook University

  4 shared

• Daniel Keyser

  University of Maryland, Baltimore

  4 shared

• Haksoon Ahn

  University of Maryland, Baltimore

  4 shared

• Avi Bleich

  4 shared

• Marc Gelkopf

  University of Haifa

  4 shared

Labs

• Social Welfare LabPI

Awards & honors

• Fulbright Senior Scholar to Spain (2022)
• Long Island Fatherhood Initiative Research & Evaluation (202…
• Interventions to Mediate Parent & Child Trauma (IMPACT) (202…
• Summer salary support for Coastal Alliance Network for Visua…
• Using Cell Phone Technology to Engage and Retain Fathers in…