Rita Hamad
@ritahamad.bsky.social
Professor, social epidemiologist @hsph.harvard.edu • Social policy + health equity • Director https://hsph.me/sphere • Mama, immigrant • Opinions mine
Pinned
Rita Hamad
@ritahamad.bsky.social
· Aug 8
Our latest study @jamahealthforum.com shows the harms of work requirements for safety net programs. Women who were subject to harsher requirements and who received less cash assistance from TANF were less likely to breastfeed. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam... @donmoyn.bsky.social @hsph.harvard.edu 1/
I had the pleasure of curating a collection of articles for #HAScholar special collection on social policies & #health. The full collection is now freely available online, including articles on policy impacts, implementation barriers & more: academic.oup.com/healthaffair... @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social
Intersections of Social Policies and Health
A collection of articles published by Health Affairs Scholar. Edited by Rita Hamad.
This collection examines the effects of social policies on health; differen
academic.oup.com
November 10, 2025 at 1:06 PM
I had the pleasure of curating a collection of articles for #HAScholar special collection on social policies & #health. The full collection is now freely available online, including articles on policy impacts, implementation barriers & more: academic.oup.com/healthaffair... @kathrynp-phd.bsky.social
Reposted by Rita Hamad
🚨 New paper: “The Bodily Scars of Legal Violence: Local immigration enforcement, state immigrant policy, & health inequality” 🚨
Forthcoming in @sfjournal.bsky.social w @ngraetz.bsky.social @atheendar.bsky.social & Robin Ortiz
academic.oup.com/sf/advance-a...
Forthcoming in @sfjournal.bsky.social w @ngraetz.bsky.social @atheendar.bsky.social & Robin Ortiz
academic.oup.com/sf/advance-a...
The bodily scars of legal violence: local immigration enforcement, state immigrant policy, and health inequality
Abstract. Over the past three decades in the United States, a surge of federal, state, and local laws and policies has increased levels of immigration enfo
academic.oup.com
November 7, 2025 at 5:24 PM
🚨 New paper: “The Bodily Scars of Legal Violence: Local immigration enforcement, state immigrant policy, & health inequality” 🚨
Forthcoming in @sfjournal.bsky.social w @ngraetz.bsky.social @atheendar.bsky.social & Robin Ortiz
academic.oup.com/sf/advance-a...
Forthcoming in @sfjournal.bsky.social w @ngraetz.bsky.social @atheendar.bsky.social & Robin Ortiz
academic.oup.com/sf/advance-a...
Lots of exciting events @iaphs.bsky.social coming up soon on interdisciplinary #pophealth topics for trainees and researchers. E.g., #scicomm, how to develop research, working with communities, etc. Webinars open to the public! iaphs.org/tools-for-su...
Online Events – IAPHS – Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science
iaphs.org
November 6, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Lots of exciting events @iaphs.bsky.social coming up soon on interdisciplinary #pophealth topics for trainees and researchers. E.g., #scicomm, how to develop research, working with communities, etc. Webinars open to the public! iaphs.org/tools-for-su...
Reposted by Rita Hamad
📣 In a new paper using data on >11,000 kids, we find children who are #evicted suffer worse mental health & increased sleep problems... but so do children whose families simply struggle to pay the rent each month, implicating the health of 100,000s of young people in the housing crisis. #episky 🧪
October 16, 2025 at 6:26 PM
New study finds more generous state safety net policies w/ fewer administrative barriers are linked to better birth outcomes, esp for marginalized groups. Very relevant finding in current policy environment!
doi.org/10.1016/j.so... @gabeschwartz.bsky.social @npwf.bsky.social @donmoyn.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1016/j.so... @gabeschwartz.bsky.social @npwf.bsky.social @donmoyn.bsky.social
November 5, 2025 at 8:57 PM
New study finds more generous state safety net policies w/ fewer administrative barriers are linked to better birth outcomes, esp for marginalized groups. Very relevant finding in current policy environment!
doi.org/10.1016/j.so... @gabeschwartz.bsky.social @npwf.bsky.social @donmoyn.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1016/j.so... @gabeschwartz.bsky.social @npwf.bsky.social @donmoyn.bsky.social
Reposted by Rita Hamad
The aggressive immigration raids we now see across the nation began 10 months ago in California's Central Valley. Their impact on children, families, and communities is an important & active area of research
I'm pleased my study of the initial raid's early impact on students is now out in @pnas.org
I'm pleased my study of the initial raid's early impact on students is now out in @pnas.org
November 4, 2025 at 6:24 PM
The aggressive immigration raids we now see across the nation began 10 months ago in California's Central Valley. Their impact on children, families, and communities is an important & active area of research
I'm pleased my study of the initial raid's early impact on students is now out in @pnas.org
I'm pleased my study of the initial raid's early impact on students is now out in @pnas.org
Reposted by Rita Hamad
An estimated 61% of US children have been enrolled in #Medicaid or CHIP and 42% have experienced periods of uninsurance by age 18, with insurance disruptions being more common in states with restrictive Medicaid policies.
ja.ma/47Vjn6y
ja.ma/47Vjn6y
November 4, 2025 at 3:30 PM
An estimated 61% of US children have been enrolled in #Medicaid or CHIP and 42% have experienced periods of uninsurance by age 18, with insurance disruptions being more common in states with restrictive Medicaid policies.
ja.ma/47Vjn6y
ja.ma/47Vjn6y
New article @nytimes.com on how SNAP & other safety net programs are inaccurately portrayed as "Democrat" programs, when in fact they help Americans of all stripes: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/o... @hsph.harvard.edu @tombedsall.bsky.social @centeronbudget.bsky.social @americanprogress.bsky.social
Opinion | It Would Be Trump’s Honor to Pay for Food Stamps
www.nytimes.com
November 4, 2025 at 6:35 PM
New article @nytimes.com on how SNAP & other safety net programs are inaccurately portrayed as "Democrat" programs, when in fact they help Americans of all stripes: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/o... @hsph.harvard.edu @tombedsall.bsky.social @centeronbudget.bsky.social @americanprogress.bsky.social
Reposted by Rita Hamad
Reminder: even if administration complies with judges' orders & pays out #SNAP benefits, there will be delays given timeline, and many families will still need support because of reductions to SNAP as part of #OBBBA. Consider donating to your local food bank: www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-lo...
Find Your Local Food Bank | Feeding America
Find the Feeding America member food bank nearest you. Over 200 member food banks can connect you with free food, food pantries, soup kitchens, and mobile pantries in your community.
www.feedingamerica.org
October 31, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Reminder: even if administration complies with judges' orders & pays out #SNAP benefits, there will be delays given timeline, and many families will still need support because of reductions to SNAP as part of #OBBBA. Consider donating to your local food bank: www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-lo...
Reminder: even if administration complies with judges' orders & pays out #SNAP benefits, there will be delays given timeline, and many families will still need support because of reductions to SNAP as part of #OBBBA. Consider donating to your local food bank: www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-lo...
Find Your Local Food Bank | Feeding America
Find the Feeding America member food bank nearest you. Over 200 member food banks can connect you with free food, food pantries, soup kitchens, and mobile pantries in your community.
www.feedingamerica.org
October 31, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Reminder: even if administration complies with judges' orders & pays out #SNAP benefits, there will be delays given timeline, and many families will still need support because of reductions to SNAP as part of #OBBBA. Consider donating to your local food bank: www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-lo...
Reposted by Rita Hamad
Did you know? The US has one of the highest child poverty rates of OECD countries.
The average child poverty rate across OECD countries is 12.2%
In the US, it’s over 20%
It’s partly why many children rely on SNAP
High rates of child poverty warrant a national conversation.
The average child poverty rate across OECD countries is 12.2%
In the US, it’s over 20%
It’s partly why many children rely on SNAP
High rates of child poverty warrant a national conversation.
October 31, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Did you know? The US has one of the highest child poverty rates of OECD countries.
The average child poverty rate across OECD countries is 12.2%
In the US, it’s over 20%
It’s partly why many children rely on SNAP
High rates of child poverty warrant a national conversation.
The average child poverty rate across OECD countries is 12.2%
In the US, it’s over 20%
It’s partly why many children rely on SNAP
High rates of child poverty warrant a national conversation.
Calvin and Hobbes, speaking deep truths even about our world today. Thanks, @billwatterson.bsky.social.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/u...
October 31, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Calvin and Hobbes, speaking deep truths even about our world today. Thanks, @billwatterson.bsky.social.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/u...
Reposted by Rita Hamad
SNAP boosts households' average monthly income by 31%.
For households with kids, it's 42%.
SNAP prevents food insecurity, but it also enables households use scarce non-SNAP resources for other things... rent, utilities, diapers, school supplies...
from: www.fns.usda.gov/data-researc...
🥗 🛟
For households with kids, it's 42%.
SNAP prevents food insecurity, but it also enables households use scarce non-SNAP resources for other things... rent, utilities, diapers, school supplies...
from: www.fns.usda.gov/data-researc...
🥗 🛟
October 31, 2025 at 12:11 PM
SNAP boosts households' average monthly income by 31%.
For households with kids, it's 42%.
SNAP prevents food insecurity, but it also enables households use scarce non-SNAP resources for other things... rent, utilities, diapers, school supplies...
from: www.fns.usda.gov/data-researc...
🥗 🛟
For households with kids, it's 42%.
SNAP prevents food insecurity, but it also enables households use scarce non-SNAP resources for other things... rent, utilities, diapers, school supplies...
from: www.fns.usda.gov/data-researc...
🥗 🛟
Not new, but still a crisis: CDC PRAMS staff were also laid off this year, removing access to the only national survey data on prenatal & postpartum health. HHS is jeopardizing the health of US kids in many ways. hsph.harvard.edu/news/with-fe... @hsph.harvard.edu @icpsr.bsky.social @npwf.bsky.social
October 27, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Not new, but still a crisis: CDC PRAMS staff were also laid off this year, removing access to the only national survey data on prenatal & postpartum health. HHS is jeopardizing the health of US kids in many ways. hsph.harvard.edu/news/with-fe... @hsph.harvard.edu @icpsr.bsky.social @npwf.bsky.social
Excited to share an op-ed by @ucsfmedicine.bsky.social PhD student @whitneywells.bsky.social on her personal experiences with #paidleave after childbirth, and how they intersect with her research. progressive.org/op-eds/paid-... @paidleaveforall.bsky.social @scholars.org 1/
Paid Family Leave Can Be a Lifeline
I study how paid family leave impacts the health of parents. When I gave birth, I became one of my own statistics.
progressive.org
October 24, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Excited to share an op-ed by @ucsfmedicine.bsky.social PhD student @whitneywells.bsky.social on her personal experiences with #paidleave after childbirth, and how they intersect with her research. progressive.org/op-eds/paid-... @paidleaveforall.bsky.social @scholars.org 1/
New article @jamanetworkopen.com showing cash during pregnancy ⬆️ prenatal care among women in Flint. Cash support to low-income families supports healthy babies & kids, but our current safety net falls short. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam... @monahanna.bsky.social @michiganstateu.bsky.social
October 22, 2025 at 1:01 PM
New article @jamanetworkopen.com showing cash during pregnancy ⬆️ prenatal care among women in Flint. Cash support to low-income families supports healthy babies & kids, but our current safety net falls short. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam... @monahanna.bsky.social @michiganstateu.bsky.social
Reposted by Rita Hamad
Rita Hamad, professor of social epidemiology and public policy, explains why losing the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System puts the health of mothers and infants at risk, and how she hopes to help keep its data accessible. “Without data, we can’t fix problems,” says @ritahamad.bsky.social
With federal maternal health database in limbo, a risk to mother and infant health | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Rita Hamad explains why losing PRAMS puts the health of mothers and infants at risk, and how she hopes to help keep its data accessible.
hsph.harvard.edu
October 17, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Rita Hamad, professor of social epidemiology and public policy, explains why losing the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System puts the health of mothers and infants at risk, and how she hopes to help keep its data accessible. “Without data, we can’t fix problems,” says @ritahamad.bsky.social
Important post @ipums.bsky.social showing how unique CPS data are for measuring food insecurity. Other data sets fall short. This reinforces how troubling USDA/Trump's recent cancellation of CPS data on food security is. blog.popdata.org/food-securit... @hsph.harvard.edu @npr.org @bostonglobe.com
Measuring Food Security with U.S. Federal Data – Use It for Good
blog.popdata.org
October 20, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Important post @ipums.bsky.social showing how unique CPS data are for measuring food insecurity. Other data sets fall short. This reinforces how troubling USDA/Trump's recent cancellation of CPS data on food security is. blog.popdata.org/food-securit... @hsph.harvard.edu @npr.org @bostonglobe.com
Reposted by Rita Hamad
Join letter to congressional leaders rejecting USDA's decision to halt data collection and release of food security reports. Support restoring funding for the Food Security Supplement in the Current Population Survey.
Individuals: buff.ly/m2pb60w
Organizations: buff.ly/VLQjNjg
Individuals: buff.ly/m2pb60w
Organizations: buff.ly/VLQjNjg
Individual Sign-on to PAA FFS Letter
Please click the link to complete this form.
form.jotform.com
October 15, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Join letter to congressional leaders rejecting USDA's decision to halt data collection and release of food security reports. Support restoring funding for the Food Security Supplement in the Current Population Survey.
Individuals: buff.ly/m2pb60w
Organizations: buff.ly/VLQjNjg
Individuals: buff.ly/m2pb60w
Organizations: buff.ly/VLQjNjg
Reposted by Rita Hamad
PAA and Government Affairs Committee member Colleen Heflin, alongside colleagues, authored this op-ed piece in The Hill: Now is not the time to stop measuring food insecurity buff.ly/sFy8n7u
October 14, 2025 at 11:29 PM
PAA and Government Affairs Committee member Colleen Heflin, alongside colleagues, authored this op-ed piece in The Hill: Now is not the time to stop measuring food insecurity buff.ly/sFy8n7u
Reposted by Rita Hamad
Immigrant Nobel Prize winners exiting the United States
I am delighted to share that Nobel laureates Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee will join our Department of Economics @econ.uzh.ch at the University of Zurich on July 1, 2026, as Lemann Foundation Professors of Economics.
🧵 1/7
🧵 1/7
October 10, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Immigrant Nobel Prize winners exiting the United States
Reposted by Rita Hamad
Feel hopeless bc Congress and the President don’t care about families in your community? Send this report to your mayor and city council members!
The Potential of Local Child Tax Credits to Reduce Child Poverty
Local governments have a critical role to play in reducing child poverty. Local Child Tax Credits could provide large tax cuts to families at the bottom of the income scale, lessening the overall regr...
itep.org
October 10, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Feel hopeless bc Congress and the President don’t care about families in your community? Send this report to your mayor and city council members!
Reposted by Rita Hamad
I looked into research about the short and long-term struggles that children living in poverty face, including access to food, healthcare and education.
Thank you to Dr. @ritahamad.bsky.social and Dr. Joseph Llobrera for speaking with me for this story.
Thank you to Dr. @ritahamad.bsky.social and Dr. Joseph Llobrera for speaking with me for this story.
What Are Some Challenges of Growing Up Poor in America? | FRONTLINE | PBS | Official Site | Documentary Series
The U.S. has one of the highest child poverty rates among wealthy countries. Here’s a look at struggles kids living in poverty face, including access to food, healthcare and education.
www.pbs.org
October 9, 2025 at 1:16 AM
I looked into research about the short and long-term struggles that children living in poverty face, including access to food, healthcare and education.
Thank you to Dr. @ritahamad.bsky.social and Dr. Joseph Llobrera for speaking with me for this story.
Thank you to Dr. @ritahamad.bsky.social and Dr. Joseph Llobrera for speaking with me for this story.
Postdoc @emilydore.bsky.social @hsph.harvard.edu provided an interview to @healthyfutures.bsky.social discussing the findings of this study, highlighting the importance of social policy design for improving #healthequity. www.healthyfutures.blog/p/how-social... @rwjf.org @policies4action.bsky.social
October 8, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Postdoc @emilydore.bsky.social @hsph.harvard.edu provided an interview to @healthyfutures.bsky.social discussing the findings of this study, highlighting the importance of social policy design for improving #healthequity. www.healthyfutures.blog/p/how-social... @rwjf.org @policies4action.bsky.social
Thanks to @frontlinepbs.bsky.social for covering continuing crisis of child #poverty in the US, which harms children & society at large. This is a critical topic in the wake of federal cuts to social safety net programs. www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontli... @ambikakandasamy.bsky.social @hsph.harvard.edu 1/
What Are Some Challenges of Growing Up Poor in America? | FRONTLINE | PBS | Official Site | Documentary Series
The U.S. has one of the highest child poverty rates among wealthy countries. Here’s a look at struggles kids living in poverty face, including access to food, healthcare and education.
www.pbs.org
October 8, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Thanks to @frontlinepbs.bsky.social for covering continuing crisis of child #poverty in the US, which harms children & society at large. This is a critical topic in the wake of federal cuts to social safety net programs. www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontli... @ambikakandasamy.bsky.social @hsph.harvard.edu 1/