BMC Public Health· 2026Q1
Associations of demographic, health, and risk behaviors with tattooing in a population-based cross-sectional study of ~ 18,000 US adults
- 10citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Tattoo prevalence was 26% in women and 22% in men, with higher rates linked to younger age, lower education, no religious affiliation, and tobacco, e-cigarette, and heavy alcohol use.
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Key points
- Tattoo prevalence was 26% among women and 22% among men in a study of ~18,000 US adults.
- Higher tattoo prevalence was observed in younger individuals, those with lower education, and those without religious affiliation.
- Tobacco use (PR women=2.89, men=3.39), e-cigarette use (PR women=2.44, men=2.64), and heavy alcohol use (PR women=2.16, men=1.89) were strongly associated with tattooing.
- Receiving flu or COVID-19 vaccines was associated with lower tattoo prevalence (PR flu women=0.84, men=0.75; PR COVID-19 women=0.65, men=0.75).
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Background: Little is known about current characteristics of individuals with tattoos. We quantified the prevalence of tattooing and associations of demographic, health, and risk-behavior factors with tattooing. Methods: We computed adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) of tattooing in a population-based analysis of > 18,000 Utah adults from the 2020-2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. Results: The prevalence of tattooing was 26% among women and 22% among men, with the highest prevalence among women ages 25-29 (45%). Tattoo prevalence was higher among younger individuals, individuals with a lower education level, and those without religious affiliation. Tattoo prevalence was higher among indviduals with current tobacco (women: PR = 2.89 [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.60, 3.20]; men: 3.39 [2.98, 3.86]), e-cigarette (women: 2.44 [2.21, 2.69]; men: 2.64 [2.37, 2.94]), and heavy alcohol use (women: 2.16 [1.93, 2.43]; men: 1.89 [1.63, 2.19]). Tattoo prevalence was lower among individuals receiving a flu (women: 0.84 [0.76, 0.92]; men: 0.75 [0.67, 0.84]) or COVID-19 vaccine (women: 0.65 [0.54, 0.79]; men: 0.75 [0.61, 0.92]). Conclusions: Several risk-taking behaviors were associated with tattooing. Tattoo studios/conventions may present opportunities for partnership with tobacco cessation, alcohol reduction, and vaccination public health initiatives.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. BMC Public Health, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Cultural Studies
Cultural StudiesSocial Sciences