Amateur tattooing practices and beliefs among high school adolescents.

Purpose: The objective of this research was to investigate the reasons, experiences, methods, and perceived health consequences of obtaining tattoos among a sample of Western Australian high school adolescents.

Methods: Information pertaining to levels of health awareness and school social behavior were obtained. Data were gathered in two phases using a questionnaire and follow-up interviews.

Results: Findings revealed that over 13% of participants had acquired tattoos and that the majority had been self-administered with crude implements. Some participants identified possible methods of removal, with a small number having attempted removal, again using crude implements.

Conclusions: Statistical analyses revealed a number of significant main effects for gender, age, and tattoo status on the dependent variables for health awareness and school social behavior.