Tattoos on 18-year-old male adolescents - Characteristics and associated factors

Abstract

BACKGROUND Prevalence of tattoos is around 10-26% in men and 10-22% in women, and can involve negative effects such as: regret, removal attempts, physical and biological changes of the skin and association with some viral diseases. OBJECTIVE to determine the prevalence, characteristics and factors associated with tattoos in recruiters joining the military. METHODS the recruiters were examined by dermatologists that documented the presence or absence of tattoos, as well as their sizes, colors, designs and patterns, and whether they needed a parent's consent to get a tattoo. RESULTS 1,968 recruiters were examined and the prevalence of tattoos was 10.82% (213), 141 (66.20%) had a single tattoo, 44 (20.66%) two tattoos, 15 (7.04%) three tattoos, 9 (4.23%) four tattoos, and 4 (1.88%) had more than four. Of the total sample, 168 (80.77%) reported getting the first tattoo before the age of 18. 158 (74.53%) were monochromatic. In relation to size, 108 (50.70%) had tattoos of up to 10 cm, 75 (35.21%) had tattoos measuring between 11-20cm, while 30 had ones over 21cm (14.09%). CONCLUSIONS The population studied had a high prevalence of tattoos for their age, the percentage of complex (large and polychromatic) tattoos was also high.

Insights into Worldwide Interest in Tattoos Using Google Trends

“…Our findings suggest the necessity of researching the epidemiology of tattoos in Latin American countries. We failed to find large studies about tattooing in general populations in South America [4]. However, Latin American football teams enrolled in the FIFA World Cup 2018 had the highest prevalence of tattooed players [5, 6].…”

Tattoos as a window to the psyche: How talking about skin art can inform psychiatric practice

“…Differences in rates may reflect variations in sanctioning within separate settings, with peer group pressure playing a significant role. In Brazil for example, tattooing was not introduced until 1959 and the practice is illegal for minors in some states[ 6 ]. A survey conducted among a sample of 18-year-old Brazilian military recruits ( n = 1968) revealed that about 11% of recruits had tattoos, of which 66% had a single tattoo and 21% had two tattoos, with the remainder having > 2 tattoos[ 6 ].…”

“…In Brazil for example, tattooing was not introduced until 1959 and the practice is illegal for minors in some states[ 6 ]. A survey conducted among a sample of 18-year-old Brazilian military recruits ( n = 1968) revealed that about 11% of recruits had tattoos, of which 66% had a single tattoo and 21% had two tattoos, with the remainder having > 2 tattoos[ 6 ]. A large majority of tattooed recruits (80%) had obtained their first tattoo before the age of 18.…”

Tattooed and Non-Tattooed Women: Motivation, Social Practices and Risk Behavior

“…In comparison with the international literature, there is a dearth of empirical psychological research in the Brazilian context (or with the Brazilian population).Most Brazilian studies are theoretical and employ a qualitative approach (Bicca, Duquia, Breunig, Souza, & Almeida, 2013;Corso & Corso, 2014;Dadalte, Mariano, Pedrão, & Soares, 2013;Macedo & Paravidini, 2014;Macedo, Paravidini, & Próchno, 2014;Pinheiro & Carvalho, 2017;Rodriguez & Carreteiro, 2014), viewing tattoos mostly as a form of subjectivation, as a search for identity through symbolic means. Studies with quantitative and psychometric approaches are thus lacking in the Brazilian context (Conti et al, 2012;Gouveia, et al, 2010;Medeiros, Gouveia, Pimentel, Soares, & Lima, 2010).…”