Martine Hackett 
Associate Professor of Health Professions | Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY, UNITED STATES
Dr. Hackett's research focuses on public health and health inequities, particularly in the American suburbs and minority communities.
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Biography
Martine Hackett is an associate professor in the Master of Public Health and B.S. in Community Health programs in Hofstra University's School of Health Professions and Human Services. Her research interests include maternal-child health, infant mortality, health communication and health disparities.
Her previous work experience is as a deputy director at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Bureau of Maternal, Infant and Reproductive Health and as a television producer.
Dr. Hackett received her BFA in film and television from New York University in film and television, a master of public health from Hunter College and a doctorate in sociology from the City University of New York Graduate Center.
Industry Expertise (2)
Education/Learning
Health and Wellness
Areas of Expertise (9)
Public Health
Health Communication
Research Methods
Maternal-Child Health
Infant Injury
Breastfeeding Promotion
Health Disparities
Infant Mortality
Minority Health
Accomplishments (4)
"I Remember Community" (professional)
2022-11-16
Residents of the Village of Hempstead shared their childhood memories of the region and their hopes for the future in "I Remember Community: Stories of Racism, Resilience and Hope," a film produced by Martine Hackett. The 12-minute film features residents of the Hempstead Housing Authority, a low-income housing unit, populated largely with Black senior citizens. They talk about pressing issues around intergenerational housing, health, and politics. https://vimeo.com/717492689/fddffe4d4f
Woman of Distinction by District 18 of the New York State Assembly (professional)
2022-03-17
Dr. Hackett was cited for her research in maternal-child health and infant mortality, her role as the Vice Chair of the Nassau County Perinatal Services Network, her advocacy for social justice and health equity, and her help in the investigation of racial inequality in the real estate industry.
2016 Teacher of the Year Award (professional)
2016-01-01
Selected as the Teacher of the Year for the School of Health Professions and Human Services at Hofstra University.
2015 Grant Seeker of the Year (professional)
2015-04-23
Awarded by the Provost and the Office for Research and Sponsored Programs for Dr. Hackett's excellence in grant development and her groundbreaking research on suburban health equity.
Education (3)
CUNY Hunter College: M.P.H., Communication Health Education 2008
CUNY Graduate Center: Ph.D., Sociology 2007
New York University: B.F.A., Film and Television 1992
Links (5)
Media Appearances (26)
Far fewer minorities got key COVID-19 drug than whites
Newsday print
2022-10-27
Martine Hackett, Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Population Health in the School of Health Professions and Human Services, was interviewed by Newsday for a story about a three-month CDC study that found disproportionately fewer Blacks and Hispanics with COVID-19 received Paxlovid, the nation’s leading treatment for the disease, compared to whites infected. “We’ve heard so much about COVID and about the vaccines, but the effectiveness of Paxlovid definitely did not have that same level of attention,” said Professor Hackett.
Three LI hospitals rank among best in U.S., federal ratings say
Newsday print
2022-08-03
Dr. Martine Hackett, director of public health programs in the School of Health Professions and Human Services, discussed with Newsday the latest federal hospital ratings, and how consumers should interpret them.
NY hotline for those ill with COVID-19, without health care provider
Newsday print
2022-07-11
Associate professor Martine Hackett spoke to Newsday on the creation of a health hotline for people diagnosed with COVID-19 without a health care provider. Elements of the state program like telemedicine and antiviral medications are proved to work, said Hackett, who specializes in public and community health, “but it’s not useful if nobody uses it.”
State orders mass COVID-19 vax sites closed as demand drops
Newsday print
2022-06-21
Martine Hackett, director of public health programs at the School of Health Professions and Human Services, spoke with Newsday regarding the closing of all mass vaccination sites in the state, stating it is a “major turning point” in the fight against COVID-19. “Over the last two years, we have gone from uncertainty about how to control the spread of the virus to the limited availability of vaccines, to mass vaccination sites to vaccines for all ages and boosters,” Hackett said. “The mass vaccination sites across New York State represented a true public health effort to reduce hospitalization and deaths and for the most part, it worked very well.”
Health experts express concern over potential overturning of Roe v. Wade
News 12 Long Island tv
2022-05-11
Martine Hackett, associate professor of population health, spoke to News 12 and its local affiliates around the tristate area and shared her concerns for repealing the decision and the impact it would have on many. “If you are in a situation where you do not have that choice and you are denied access to getting an abortion, you are in a situation where you might not be financially able to raise a child, emotionally stable to do so, and yet you have to,” Hackett says. Hackett shared with News 12 that while wealthier women might have options to travel for abortions, poorer women and women of color might not be afforded the same access.
Omicron subvariant BA.2 has become dominant COVID strain in US — but cases not spiking
The New York Post print
2022-04-06
The New York Post interviewed Associate Professor of Population Health and Program Director of the Public Health Program Martine Hackett about the BA 2 subvariant of COVID-19, which has become the dominant form of the virus. Even so, case numbers have remained stable. “The spread of Omicron in the winter made a protective factor against the severity of BA.2 variant,” she said. “The majority of Americans are vaccinated, and contracting and recovering from Omicron gave many people the equivalent of a ‘booster shot’ of antibodies.” However, Dr. Hackett and other experts warn that reported cases can be misleading. “The more common testing — home tests — are not reported in terms of the statistics, so it’s possible we are having an increase in the number of positive COVID cases,” she told the Post. “We don’t have the same way of measuring it as we did a year ago.”
Long Island business owner hopes to save Black lives via swimming lessons
Newsday print
2021-08-24
Public health professor Martine Hackett offers some historical perspective in a Newsday article about a new program aimed at helping Black people learn how to swim. Young Black adults and children are on average nearly three times more likely to drown than white people the same age, accordig to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Nassau study to look at impact of COVID-19 on minority communities
Newsday print
2021-05-09
In an article in Newsday, public health professor Martine Hackett weighed in Nassau County’s plans to launch a study that will examine how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected minority communities. The study will particularly look at health disparity issues such as access to testing and vaccinations.
Black, Latino Long Islanders getting vaccinated at lower rates, data shows
Newsday print
2021-05-05
Public health professor Martine Hackett, an expert on health inequities, was interviewed for a Newsday article that examined state data that showed Blacks and Latinos get vaccinated at significantly lower rates than others. Experts are hopeful that the gap will narrow as vaccinations become easier to get.
Brentwood first Long Island community to surpass 10,000 confirmed cases
Newsday print
2021-03-06
Martine Hackett, an associate professor of health professions at Hofstra University and an expert on health inequities, said she was surprised by how high Brentwood’s coronavirus rate was compared with other places... In general, people of color are more likely to live in crowded housing and have jobs as essential workers, she said. Those factors may be even more pronounced in Brentwood than elsewhere, she said. In addition, Brentwood has a large immigrant population, and those who arrived more recently might have fewer ties to the community and less exposure to preventative information about COVID-19, she said.
Eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine increases; supply still remains low
Newsday online
2021-02-15
Martine Hackett, PhD, public health professor in the School of Health Professions and Human Services, appeared in this Newsday video story about the challenges of meeting the demand for the COVID-19 vaccine in New York amid expanding eligibility lists and limited supply.
Certain 9/11 First Responders With Preexisting Conditions Still Ineligible For COVID Vaccine In New York
CBS 2 NY tv
2021-01-28
Martine Hackett, PhD, director of public health graduate programs, was featured in a CBS 2 NY story examining vaccine distribution issues for 9/11 first responders and others with preexisting conditions.
Racial disparities in alcohol and substance misuse
ABCNews.com/ABC News Radio radio
2020-09-26
Public health professor Martine Hackett was featured in a ABCNews.com story and ABC News Radio podcast about the racial disparities that can impede minorities from getting the help they need to treat substance abuse. She also discusses how trauma and racial tensions can impact addiction.
Communities of Color Hit Hard by COVID-19 on Long Island
The Brian Lehrer Show / WNYC radio
2020-04-30
Martine Hackett, associate professor in the department of health professions and director of public health programs at Hofstra University, shares how Black communities in Nassau County have been hit disproportionately hard by COVID-19, and what public officials should be doing to try to improve health outcomes.
COVID-19 exposes mistrust, health care inequality going back generations for African Americans
ABC News online
2020-04-28
"In the United States, there really has not been true equity for the care of all races," said Hofstra University public health professor Martine Hackett. "If people have negative experiences, or if they have experiences that are not supportive and they tell their family member, the people in their community -- that permeates," said Hackett.
Racial inequities reflected in coronavirus toll, as state and city data are analyzed
Newsday online
2020-04-09
"The question is: Why is there this ongoing disparity?" said Martine Hackett, an associate professor and director of public health programs at Hofstra University. "There’s nothing about being black, inherently, that makes you more susceptible to coronavirus. It’s about the conditions and the environment that you’re in that make you more vulnerable to having those poor health outcomes," Hackett said, remarking on the city and state data.
COVID-19: What You Need to Know (4/8/20)
ABC News Radio radio
2020-04-08
In an interview with ABC News Radio, Professor Martine Hackett, director of Public Health programs at the School of Health Professions and Human Services, addressed how health disparities and lack of data are contributing to emerging statistics that suggest African Americans and Latinos are dying at higher rates from COVID-19.
Vestiges of Racism Still Linger
Newsday print
2020-01-19
Public health professor Martine Hackett co-wrote an op-ed in Newsday that discusses inequalities in birth outcomes that still exist on Long Island, injustices which she says are “invisible” to many in power. She calls on health care provides, hospital systems, legislators, and community members to re-examine and correct current practices.
What’s Behind Maternal Death Disparities?
U.S. News & World Report online
2019-09-05
“Socioeconomic status is not protective in the way that it is for many other situations,” said Dr. Hackett, who reviewed the findings, but was not involved in the research. “A lot of this has to do with the way people are treated – not just during the prenatal and birthing process, it’s the way black women are treated throughout our lives that really takes a toll physically. Seeing this from a larger societal perspective is useful, because that’s where the action is going to happen.”
The Suburban Myth of Health and Wealth
US News & World Report online
2019-03-26
"Racial residential segregation is a fundamental cause of health disparities across the board," says Martine Hackett, an assistant professor and public health researcher at Hofstra University. "If you take that concept – of the outside environment playing a role in the differences on a population level – then the way that looks and presents as the health outcomes of people in suburban areas is going to have a different flavor."
How long will you live?
Newsday online
2018-12-28
Martine Hackett is a public health expert who lives in Uniondale, where the census tract has a life expectancy of about 74 years. She agrees that individuals have a measure of control over how long they live, but she also sees conditions in her community that can counter good decisions...
Inspecting racism
Long Island Business News online
2018-12-14
Similarly, there is disparity in health outcomes, with black and Hispanic communities faring worse than whites, according to Martine Hackett, an associate professor of health professions at Hofstra. That outcome is not surprising, Hackett said. She pointed to outdated method of scientific thinking, including skull size measurements and discrepancies in facial features. This mindset fueled eugenics in the United States, and was seen in the beginning of the Nazi movement and South Africa’s apartheid.
Rising Maternal Mortality Rates
Diverse Long Island - News 12 tv
2018-01-20
Martine Hackett, PhD, assistant professor in the Master of Public Health Program in the School of Health Professions and Human Services, appeared on the News 12 show "Diverse Long Island" to discuss the factors that contribute to alarming rates of pregnancy-related deaths among black women both in Nassau County and nationwide.
Pure Mammography opens screening site at Smith Haven Mall
Newsday online
2017-02-14
The new Smith Haven Mall location is part of a trend to make health care more convenient, said Martine Hackett, an assistant professor in the department of health professions at Hofstra University. “We know there are blood pressure kiosks at drugstores, and that flu shots are available at drugstores,” Hackett said. “Also, some stores have clinics.”
Dr. Martine Hackett on Long Island’s Housing and Health Crisis
WLIW online
2016-09-07
Martine Hackett, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Health Professions and in the Master of Public Health Program in the School of Health Professions and Human Services, appeared on WLIW’s “Long Island Business Report” to discuss how factors affecting health and housing have contributed to a regional crisis.
Two ways to improve inmate health in Nassau
Newsday online
2016-08-18
Anthony Santella and Martine Hackett, assistant professors in the Department of Health Professions and in the Master of Public Health Program in the School of Health Professions and Human Services, share new approaches that would improve the health of inmates in Nassau County in this op-ed.
Research Focus (1)
Areas of interest:
maternal-child health, infant mortality, health communication and health disparities
Research Grants (1)
“The Social Ecology of Infant Sleep Environments”
National Institutes of Health $55,000
The grant supports a study examining racial disparities in infant mortality in New York City.
Articles (3)
Exploring caregiver behavior and knowledge about unsafe sleep surfaces in infant injury death cases
Health Education & Behavior2015 Objectives. In the United States, infant deaths due to sleep-related injuries have quadrupled over the past two decades. One of the major risk factors is the placement of an infant to sleep on a surface other than a crib or bassinet. This study examines contextual circumstances and knowledge and behaviors that may contribute to the placement of infants on an unsafe sleep surface in infant injury death cases. Method. This study employed a retrospective review of 255 sleep-related injury death cases in New York City from 2004 to 2010 where ...
Housing influences among sleep-related infant injury deaths in the USA
Health promotion international2015 Abstract: This article examines the role of housing conditions in sleep-related infant injury death, a leading cause of infant mortality in the USA. The use of an unsafe sleep surface is a major risk factor for sleep-related infant injury. This exploratory study examined contextual circumstances, specifically those related to the physical environment, which may contribute to caregivers' decisions to place an infant on an unsafe sleep surface. It employed a retrospective review of 255 sleep-related infant injury death cases in a large urban area ...
Perception and attitudes: breastfeeding in public in New York City
Journal of Human Lactation2014 Background: In the United States, 76.9% of women initiate breastfeeding but only 36.0% breastfeed exclusively for 3 months. Lack of support for public breastfeeding may prevent women from breastfeeding in public, which could contribute to low rates of breastfeeding exclusivity and continuation, despite high rates of breastfeeding initiation. Objective: This study aimed to determine whether residents of New York City, New York, were supportive of and comfortable with public breastfeeding. Methods: A population-based public opinion ...
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