Prevalence, knowledge, attitudes and practices towards body art in university students: body art as an indicator of risk taking behaviours?

Abstract

Background: Young people are attracted by body art and consider it as a way of being “different”. Body art
(tattoos, piercing, etc.) represents an important socio-cultural phenomenon which is not risk free for health.
Existing literature, moreover, points out that deviant behaviours and unhealthy lifestyles are significantly
associated with body art.
Objective and methods: The research was aimed to describe the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of
university students towards body art, highlighting the association between body art and some demographic
variables, deviant behaviours, unhealthy lifestyles, knowledge of health risks and medical complications
potentially involved. Data came from a cross-sectional study conducted on a sample, selected at random, of
1.200 undergraduate university students, (570, human sciences; 630, scientific areas). The instrument for the
survey was a 21 item multiple choice questionnaire. Data was codified and statistical analysis was computed
through Epi-Info and Openstat software.
Results: Students from a scientific background showed a higher rate of interest, (p<0.01) for the argument
of body art. About one third of the surveyed individuals had at least one body art. Cultural choice and gender
was associated with body art. Males, especially from the scientific area, were more attracted by temporary
body art, while females preferred permanent tattoos. Students from humanistic backgrounds were associated
with one body art and those from a scientific area with more than one (p<0.01). Unemployment, lack of
partnership and family attitude towards body art, were positively associated with students’ body art. Body
art was strictly associated with different unhealthy lifestyles, such as drug, alcohol and tobacco consumption,
problem gambling and sexual activity before 18 years of age. A relevant part of students considered piercing
and tattooing as having no consequences for infections and/or disease.
Conclusions: Body art was associated with unhealthy lifestyles and may be considered an indicator of risk
taking behaviours. Individuals had no accurate idea of the consequences for their health and body, apart from
a generic risk of infections. Education is a necessary tool for the modification of lifestyles and as a form of
prevention ensuring the correct understanding and assessment of the health risk involved