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Jessica M. Perkins

Assistant Professor, Department of Human and Organizational Development

Research: Professor Perkins’ broad areas of research expertise within community and global health include social epidemiology and social psychology. Her main line of research focuses on how social norms and social networks impact health-related behaviors and attitudes, by exploring why people who act in unhealthy ways do so despite social norms supporting healthy behaviors. Her work assesses behaviors such as bullying, food and beverage consumption, and tobacco use among middle school and high school students across the United States, and on HIV testing, intimate partner violence, and alcohol use among adults in rural Uganda in East Africa. Professor Perkins’ second line of research assesses the social contexts in which mental and physical health outcomes arise and health inequalities continue to exist. She has several foci including nutrition-related outcomes as well as older adult well-being. 

Professor Perkins has a strong background in quantitative research methodology, survey development, and fieldwork in low-resource settings. She has lived and worked on studies in Uganda, South Africa, Peru, India, Ecuador, Spain, and Morocco in addition to the United States and the United Kingdom.

Teaching: Professor Perkins teaches courses in the Health and Human Services track and Community Health track. 

Service: Ad hoc reviewer for more than 25 journals, including AIDS & Behavior, Journal of Behavioral Medicine, Prevention Science, and Social Science & Medicine. 

Community Engagement: Professor Perkins is part of a long-term, multifaceted study in rural Uganda that is actively working to improve health outcomes, increase healthy behaviors, and support economic development in local communities. The study collaborates with community organizations and community members to address issues related to HIV, mental health, violence, stigma, food and water insecurity, and access to health care. Professor Perkins' research in Uganda is supported by an early career investigator award from NIMH (1K01MH115811-01A1)

Representative Publications

(underlined indicates current/past mentee) 

Social norms as drivers of health-related behavior

1.      Perkins, J. M., Kakuhikire, B., Baguma, C., Rasmussen, J. D., Satinsky, E. N., Kiconco, A., Kananura, J., Audet, C. M., Sieder, M. J., Haberer, J. E., Bangsberg, D. R., & Tsai, A. C. (2022). Perceptions about local ART adherence norms and personal adherence behavior among adults living with HIV in rural Uganda. AIDS and Behavior, 1-13. doi: 10.1007/s10461-021-03540-1 

2.      Perkins, J. M., Kakuhikire, B., Baguma, C., Jurinsky, J., Rasmussen, J. D., Satinsky, E. N., Namara, E., Ahereza, P., Kyokunda, V., Perkins, H. W., Hahn, J. A., Bangsberg, D. R., Tsai, A. C. (2022). Overestimation of alcohol consumption norms as a driver of alcohol consumption: a whole-population network study of men across eight villages in rural, southwestern Uganda. Addiction, 117(1), 68-81. doi:10.1111/add.15615

3.      Perkins, J. M., Perkins, H. W., Jurinsky, J., & Craig, D. W. (2019). Adolescent tobacco use and misperceptions of social norms across schools in the United States. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Other Drugs, 80(6), 659-668. doi: 10.15288/jsad.2019.80.659

4.      Perkins, J. M., Perkins, H. W., Craig, D. W. (2019). Misperceiving a code of silence: peer support for telling authorities about weapons at school among middle school and high school students in the United States. Youth and Society, 51(6), 814-839. doi: 10.1177/0044118X17714808

5.      Perkins, J. M., Nyakato, V. N., Kakuhikire, B., Mbabazi, P. K., Perkins, H. W., Tsai, A. C., Christakis, N.A., & Bangsberg, D. R. (2018). Actual versus perceived HIV testing norms, and personal HIV testing uptake: a cross-sectional, population-based study in rural Uganda. AIDS and Behavior, 22(2), 616-628. doi: 10.1007/s10461-017-1691-z

6.      Perkins, H. W., Craig, D. W., & Perkins, J. M. (2011). Using social norms to reduce bullying: a research intervention among adolescents in five middle schools. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 14(5), 703-722. doi: 10.1177/1368430210398004

 

Social networks as drivers of health and development

7.      Perkins, J. M., Subramanian, S. V., & Christakis, N. A. (2015). Social networks and health: a systematic review of sociocentric network studies in low- and middle-income countries. Social Science & Medicine, 125, 60-78. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.08.019

8.      Shakya, H. B., Perkins, J. M., Traeger, M., Tsai, A. C., Bangsberg, D. R., Kakuhikire, B., & Christakis, N. A. (2018). Social network correlates of IPV acceptance in rural Honduras and rural Uganda. Social Science and Medicine – Population Health, 4, 236-243. doi: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2018.02.001

9.      Perkins, J. M., Nyakato, V. N., Kakuhikire, B., Tsai, A. C., Subramanian, S. V., Bangsberg, D. R., & Christakis, N. A. (2018). Food insecurity, social networks and symptoms of depression among men and women in rural Uganda: a cross-sectional, population-based study. Public Health Nutrition, 21(5), 838-848. doi: 10.1017/S1368980017002154

10.  Takada, S., Nyakato, V., Nishi, A., O'Malley, B. K., Kakuhikire, B., Perkins, J. M., Bangsberg, D. R., Christakis, N. A., Tsai, A. C. (2019). The social network context of HIV stigma: population-based, sociocentric network study in rural Uganda. Social Science and Medicine, 233, 229-236. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.05.012

11.  Satinsky, E. N., Kakuhikire, B., Baguma, C., Rasmussen, J. D., Perkins, J. M., Gumisiriza, P., Juliet, M., Ayebare, P., Mushavi, R. C., Burns, B. F. O., Siedner, M. J., Bangsberg, D. R., Tsai, A. C. (2021). Correlates of attendance at community engagement meetings held in advance of bio-behavioral research studies: a longitudinal, sociocentric social network study in rural Uganda. PloS Medicine, 18(7), e1003705. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003705

12.  Comfort, A. B., Harper, C, Tsai, A. C., Perkins, J. M., Moody, J., Rasolofomanana, J., Alperin, C., Schultz, M., Ranjalahy, A., Heriniaina, R., & Krezanoski, P. (2021). The association between men’s family planning networks and contraceptive use among their female partners: an egocentric network study in Madagascar. BMC Public Health, 21(1), 1-14. doi: 10.1186/s12889-021-10180-6

Social contexts as drivers of health and wellbeing

13.  Heo, J., Krishna, A., Perkins, J. M., Lee, H.-Y., Lee, J.-K., Subramanian, S. V., Oh, J. (2020). Community determinants of physical growth and cognitive development among Indian children in early childhood: a multivariate multilevel analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(1), 182. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17010182

14.  Smith, M. L., Kakuhikire, B., Baguma, C., Rasmussen, J., Perkins, J. M., Cooper-Vince, C. E., Venkataramani, A. S., Ashaba, S., Bangsberg, D. R., Tsai, A. C. (2019). Relative wealth, subjective social status, and their associations with depression: cross-sectional, population-based study in rural Uganda. Social Science and Medicine – Population Health, 8, 100448. doi: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2019.100448

15.  Joe, W.*, Perkins, J. M.,* & Subramanian, S. V. (2019). Community involvement, trust, and health-related outcomes among older adults in India: a population-based, multilevel cross-sectional study. Age and Ageing, 48(1), 87-93. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afy154

16.  Lee, H-Y., Oh, J., Perkins, J. M., Heo, J., & Subramanian, S. V. (2019). Associations between maternal social capital and infant birth weight in three developing countries: a cross-sectional multilevel analysis of Young Lives data. BMJ Open, 9(10), e024769. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024769