{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,3]],"date-time":"2026-06-03T15:54:56Z","timestamp":1780502096414,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"23","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,26]],"date-time":"2021-11-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1637884800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: tattooing and piercing are increasingly common, especially among youths. However, several health complications may be associated with these practices if basic hygiene rules are not respected. This multicenter study was aimed at exploring tattoo and piercing experiences reported by a large sample of Italian undergraduate students through a public health perspective. Methods: tattooed and\/or pierced students attending 12 Italian universities were asked to complete a web-based questionnaire regarding their body art experience. Results: out of 1472 respondents, 833 (56.6%) were tattooed and 1009 (68.5%) were pierced. The greatest proportion of tattooed students (93.9%) got her\/his first tattoo in a tattoo studio, while most of the pierced were serviced in a jewelry store (48.0%). The pierced ones were less informed on health issues related to the procedure (56.0% versus 77.8% of tattooed p &lt; 0.001), and tattooists were reportedly more attentive to hygiene rules (instrument sterilization 91.5% versus 79.1% of piercers, p &lt; 0.001; use of disposable gloves 98.2% versus 71% of piercers, p &lt; 0.001). Conclusions: educational interventions for both professionals and communities are needed to improve the awareness and the control of health risks related to body art throughout the Italian territory.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph182312429","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,29]],"date-time":"2021-11-29T05:23:02Z","timestamp":1638163382000},"page":"12429","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":10,"title":["What about Your Body Ornament? Experiences of Tattoo and Piercing among Italian Youths"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0504-9562","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesca","family":"Gall\u00e8","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Movement Sciences and Wellbeing, University of Naples \u201cParthenope\u201d, 80133 Naples, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Federica","family":"Valeriani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Movement, Human, and Health Sciences, University of Rome \u201cForo Italico\u201d, 00135 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Daniela","family":"Marotta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrea","family":"De Giorgi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7562-1472","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Annalisa","family":"Bargellini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Section of Public Health, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4674-0306","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aida","family":"Bianco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Catanzaro \u201cMagna Gr\u00e6cia\u201d, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4971-594X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Eugenia","family":"Colucci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6119-0309","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Anna","family":"Coniglio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies \u201cG.F. Ingrassia\u201d, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7555-9659","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Laura","family":"Dallolio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0297-9502","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Osvalda","family":"De Giglio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari \u201cAldo Moro\u201d, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4466-6683","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gabriella","family":"Di Giuseppe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania \u201cLuigi Vanvitelli\u201d, 80138 Naples, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giusy","family":"Diella","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari \u201cAldo Moro\u201d, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6078-9520","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pasqualina","family":"Lagan\u00e0","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3704-6822","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesca","family":"Licata","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Catanzaro \u201cMagna Gr\u00e6cia\u201d, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giorgio","family":"Liguori","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Movement Sciences and Wellbeing, University of Naples \u201cParthenope\u201d, 80133 Naples, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0905-5783","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Isabella","family":"Marchesi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Section of Public Health, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7025-4271","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sofia","family":"Marini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2958-5458","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Teresa","family":"Montagna","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari \u201cAldo Moro\u201d, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5775-2276","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christian","family":"Napoli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00139 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giovanni Battista","family":"Orsi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, 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Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2900-6399","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vincenzo","family":"Romano Spica","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Movement, Human, and Health Sciences, University of Rome \u201cForo Italico\u201d, 00135 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rossella","family":"Sacchetti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Education Studies \u201cGiovanni Maria Bertin\u201d, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9161-2189","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stefano","family":"Tardivo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Diagnostic and Public Health, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Licia","family":"Veronesi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43125 Parma, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1001-6343","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Matteo","family":"Vitali","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7668-5809","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carmela","family":"Protano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,11,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1205","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(03)12955-8","article-title":"Body piercing: Medical consequences and psychological motivations","volume":"361","author":"Stirn","year":"2003","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6","DOI":"10.1159\/000369175","article-title":"Epidemiology of tattoos in industrialized countries","volume":"Volume 48","author":"Serup","year":"2015","journal-title":"Tattooed Skin and Health"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"273","DOI":"10.1007\/s12016-016-8532-0","article-title":"Medical Complications of tattoos: A comprehensive review","volume":"50","author":"Islam","year":"2016","journal-title":"Clin. 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