Tattooing and high-risk behavior among adolescents

High-risk behavior in the domains of tobacco, alcohol, and drug use, and sexual behavior were investigated in relation to tattoo presence/absence among adolescents aged 18-22 years. Adolescents' motivations to become tattooed were also explored. Participants included 400 tattooed and non-tattooed (147 male, 253 female) students at West Virginia University. Self-report questionnaires, which included items from the 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) as well as items derived by the investigator, were used to assess risk-taking behavior, tattoo presence/absence, and motives for obtaining/not obtaining tattoos. A significant relationship between high-risk behavior and tattooing was found using crosstabulation and chi-square analyses, and significant associations between tattoo motive and high-risk behaviors were found using independent samples t-tests and 2x2 ANOVA analyses (alpha = .05). Findings confirm previous research on tattooing and high-risk behavior and extend research on motives for tattooing.

Name thesis:degree_name

MA

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Learning Sciences and Human Development

Year dc:date.available

2007

Author dc:creator

• Stickel, Tiffany Lynn

Contributors dc:contributor

• Carol Markstrom.
• Erron Huey
• Jeong-Ju Yoo

• Individual & family studies
• Behavioral psychology
• Developmental psychology

Identifier

https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/763

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:researchrepository.wvu.edu:etd-1766