# Perceptions of Social Norms and Personal Propensity to Engage in HIV Testing: A Mixed Methods Study and Intervention in Rural Uganda

> **NIH NIH K01** · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $170,591

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
In Uganda, only one-fifth of HIV-positive adults are aware of their serostatus, far short of the UNAIDS 90%
target for ending the epidemic. Perceived social norms, defined as one’s perceptions about which attitudes and
behaviors are held and engaged in by majority of a social group, are understudied as potential drivers of HIV
testing. The preliminary data from my dissertation fieldwork in rural Uganda showed that most people thought
that most people in their village had never been tested for HIV even though most had actually been tested, and
that men who (mistakenly) perceived HIV testing as uncommon were 3 times more likely to have never been
tested themselves. My long-term career goal is to become an independent investigator with mixed-methods
expertise in understanding how perceived social norms drive HIV testing, and to develop, test, and implement
strategies to improve HIV testing. Although I have completed my PhD in social epidemiology, to achieve
research independence I need additional mentorship and training in [1] qualitative research methods, [2]
advanced statistical methods such as multilevel and longitudinal modeling, and [3] HIV-related intervention
development in sub-Saharan Africa. The proposed training will enable me to achieve my scientific objective: to
test the extent to which perceived social norms can affect one’s propensity to engage in HIV testing, and to
develop a pilot intervention to increase testing in Uganda among men, women, and couples. My central
hypothesis, based on my dissertation fieldwork, is that people misperceive HIV testing as uncommon within
salient reference groups, and that these misperceptions greatly undermine their own propensity to undergo
HIV testing. I further hypothesize that correcting these misperceptions will be a feasible and acceptable way to
increase testing. I will test my central hypothesis by pursuing 3 specific aims: (1) Use qualitative research
methods to design valid questions that elicit perceived social norms about HIV testing within different reference
groups, including men-only, women-only, and couples-only subgroups of different backgrounds and
experiences; (2) Estimate the extent to which social norms for HIV testing are misperceived and perceptions
are associated with personal testing; and (3) Develop and test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary
effectiveness of a pilot intervention to increase HIV testing among men, women, and couples. I am well-
positioned to accomplish these aims given my strong preliminary data directly related to the content of the
proposed K01 award and my mentors' combined expertise. My approach is innovative in its use of mixed
methods to test theoretically-driven hypotheses about the extent to which perceived social norms about HIV
testing within salient reference groups affect HIV testing behavior. The proposed research will have significant
public health impact because it will lead to the development of a unique cl...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10001005
- **Project number:** 5K01MH115811-03
- **Recipient organization:** VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Jessica M Perkins
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $170,591
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-07 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10001005

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10001005, Perceptions of Social Norms and Personal Propensity to Engage in HIV Testing: A Mixed Methods Study and Intervention in Rural Uganda (5K01MH115811-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10001005. Licensed CC0.

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