Abstract
BackgroundThis study examines the underlying characteristics of adolescents attending Italian secondary school who expressed indifference towards or no interest at all in body art.MethodsA convenience sample of 4,277 secondary school students from the North Eastern Italy were surveyed with a self-reported questionnaire collecting extensive socio-demographic information. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to investigate the characteristics of those who were not interested or indifferent towards piercing and tattoo, reporting adjusted Odds Ratios (aOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI).ResultsPrevalence of tattoo was 6%, whereas body piercing was 20%; 66% (= 558/840) of those with a piercing were underage (<18 years of age), the equivalent for tattoo being 62% (= 159/258). 166 individuals reported having both piercing and tattoo and 152 of these (92% = 152/166) were <18 years of age. The factors found to be predominately higher in those indifferent or who did not indicate interest in body art were: higher school year, increasing father's education and a greater perception of the associated health risks.DiscussionProactive health education campaigns by school educators and family physicians should focus on adolescents of less educated fathers and pupils less aware of the health risks associated with body art. In this respect junior secondary school students can be regarded as the ideal target of such campaigns.
Highlights
This study examines the underlying characteristics of adolescents attending Italian secondary school who expressed indifference towards or no interest at all in body art
Seventy-four percent (= 2,997/ 4,069) of the respondents would refer to a health care professional in case of complications associated with body modifications, 72% (= 2,803/3,879) had a sufficient knowledge of these hygienic norms, 64% (= 2,714/4,277) considered it important to refer to a certified body art parlor, 54% (= 1,820/3,347) had a reasonable knowledge of the infectious diseases related to body art, while only 40% of the respondents seemed aware of the problems associated with tattoo removal
In the present study we found that the lack of interest in body art was significantly associated with a higher perception of the associated health risks
Summary
This study examines the underlying characteristics of adolescents attending Italian secondary school who expressed indifference towards or no interest at all in body art. Despite the prevalence of body modification, especially among adolescents [1,5,8] and the associated health risks [1,9,10,11,12], these practices are currently not sufficiently regulated [13,14,15,16,17]. It has been reported, that a substantial percentage of girls and boys were not aware of the associated risks and cautions to be observed when deciding to undertake body modification [18]. The aim of the study is to better understand the characteristics differentiating these two distinct groups in order to frame future health education programs in light of the fact that there has been very little prior research into this area
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
