title: Tattooing, piercing, healthy behaviours and health value.
abstract: This study was designed to investigate whether people who engage more frequently in healthy behaviours, and attach a higher value to health, are likely to engage less frequently in tattooing and piercing. One hundred and eight participants with tattoos and/or piercings completed questionnaires including the Reported Health Behaviours Checklist and the Health Value Scale. There were no significant relationships between healthy behaviours, health value and numbers of tattoos or piercings. A significant proportion of pierced and tattooed participants had not considered possible health risks, and those that had were often unaware of potentially serious health problems. Results are discussed in terms of health guidelines for tattooing and piercing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Staffordshire University, Stoke on Trent, UK.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huxley
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grogan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D046288:Body Piercing / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013653:Tattooing / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data