College students, tattooing, and the health belief model: extending social psychological perspectives on youth culture and deviance

This research extends social psychological models which have previously been used to explain tattooing behavior. We apply the Health Belief Model to the decision-making process by which young adults express Interest in or obtain a tattoo. We examine the five components of the Health Belief Model with regard to the likelihood of being tattooed, being interested in tattoos, or obtaining a (or another) tattoo. Survey data were gathered from 520 undergraduate students at a. large, public university in the southwest. Their responses show the Health Belief Model to be a significant predictor of this behavior among the students in our sample.