Leif Jensen, Ph.D.

Research Interests

My research is found within three broad areas. The first is social stratification with emphasis on poverty, inequality, underemployment, informal work, and  household livelihood strategies. Much of this work focuses on rural populations and rural-urban differences. My second area of specialization is demography with particular attention to migration and immigration. Cutting across my interest in stratification and demography is work on rural population health and aging. Third, I'm also interested in international development with a focus on gender and agriculture.

Over the years my research program has been funded by NSF, NIH, USDA, USAID and the Ford, Spencer, and Russell Sage foundations.

Outreach/Extension Interests

Although I do not have a formal extension appointment, I do enjoy opportunities to offer presentations on topics within my areas of expertise to community groups, advocacy organizations, policy makers, and others. 

Current/Recent Courses

• RSOC 517:  International Rural Social Change
• CED 425: International Community and Economic Development

Recent Selected Publications

Velasco Palacios, Hazel, Paige Castellanos, Leif Jensen, Janelle Larson, Alfredo Reyes, Carolyn Sachs, Arie Sanders, and Kathleen Sexsmith. 2024. "Assessing the Effectiveness of Participatory Gender Transformative Development Projects in Rural Honduras." Rural Sociology, 0(0:1-24. http://doi.org/10.1111/ruso.12567.

Sznajder, Kristin, T. Eshak., A. Biney, N Dodoo, M. Wang, T. Toprah, J. Blanford, L. Jensen, F.N. Dodoo. 2024. "Adverse childhood experiences increase HIV risk factors in Agbogbloshie, Ghana." Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/17450128.2024.2354378 .

Schwendler, Teresa R., Muzi Na, Kathleen L. Keller, Leif Jensen, and Stephen. R. Kodish. 2024. "Observational Methods in Studies of Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Twenty-Year Retrospective Review." Nutrients. 16(2):288. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16020288.

Santos-Lozada, Alexis R., Jeffrey T. Howard, Shannon M. Monnat, Martin J. Sliwinski, and Leif Jensen. 2023. "Age differences in Allostatic Load among adults in the United States by rural-urban residence. " SSM-Population Health, 23:101442.

Huot, Sovanneary, Leif Jensen, Ricky M. Bates, and David R. Ader. 2023. "Barriers of Women in Acquiring Leadership Positions in Agricultural Cooperatives: The Case of Cambodia." Rural Sociology, 88(3): 708-730.

Green, John J., Shannon M. Monnat, Leif Jensen, Lori Hunter, and Martin Sliwinski. 2022. "Rural Population Health and Aging: Introduction to the Special Issue."  Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 37(1)1-6.

Sachs, Carolyn E., Leif Jensen, Paige Castellanos and Kathleen Sexsmith (Eds.). 2021.  Handbook on Gender and Agriculture. New York, NY: Routledge.

Southard, Emily M. L. and Leif Jensen. 2021. "Men's and Women's Migration Related to Agriculture." Chapter 31 (pp. 394-409) in Carolyn E. Sachs, Leif Jensen, Paige Castellanos and Kathleen Sexsmith (Eds.) Handbook on Gender and Agriculture. New York, NY: Routledge.

Thiede, Brian C., Matt Brooks and Leif Jensen. 2021. "Unequal from the Start? Poverty Across Immigrant Generations of Hispanic Children." Demography, 58(6): 2139–2167.

Rhubart, Danielle C., Shannon M. Monnat, Leif Jensen and Claire Pendergrast. 2021. "The Unique Impacts of U.S. Social and Health Policies on Rural Population Health and Aging." Public Policy & Aging Report, 31(1):24-29.

Slack, Tim and Leif Jensen. 2020. "The Changing Demography of Rural and Small-Town America." Population Research and Policy Review, 39(5):775-783.

Thiede, Brian C., Jacqueline Butler, David L. Brown and Leif Jensen. 2020. "Income Inequality Across the Rural-Urban Continuum in the United States, 1970-2016." Rural Sociology, 85(4): 899-937.

Jensen, Leif, Shannon M. Monnat, John J. Green, Lori M. Hunter, Martin J. Sliwinski. 2020. "Rural Population Health and Aging: Toward a Multilevel and Multidimensional Research Agenda for the 2020s." American Journal of Public Health, 110(9):1328-1331.

Fowler, Christopher S. and Leif Jensen.  2020. "Bridging the Gap Between Geographic Concept and the Data We Have: The Case of Labor Markets in the U.S." Environment and Planning A, 52(7): 1395-1414.

Slack, Tim, Brian C. Thiede, and Leif Jensen. 2020. "Race, Residence, and Underemployment: 50 Years in Comparative Perspective, 1964-2017." Rural Sociology, 85(2): 275-315.

Jensen, Leif, Ann R. Tickamyer, and Tim Slack. 2019. "Rural-Urban Variation in Informal Work Activities in the United States." Journal of Rural Studies, 68: 276-284.

Larson, Janelle B., Paige Castellanos, and Leif Jensen. 2019. "Gender, Household Food Security, and Dietary Diversity in Western Honduras." Global Food Security, 20: 170-179.

Bikketi, Edward, Esther Njuguna-Mungai, Leif Jensen and Edna Johnny. 2019. "Kinship Structures, Gender, and Groundnut Productivity in Malawi." Chapter 13 (pp. 221-238) in Carolyn E. Sachs (ed.), Gender, Agriculture and Agrarian Transformations. New York, NY: Routledge.

Ganguly, Sujata, Leif Jensen, Samarendu Mohanty, Sugandha Munshi, Arindam Samaddar, Swati Nayak, and Prakashan Chellattan Veettil. 2019. "Changes in participation of women in Rice Value Chains: Implications for control over decision-making." Chapter 14 (pp. 239-253) in Carolyn E. Sachs (ed.), Gender, Agriculture and Agrarian Transformations. New York, NY: Routledge.