Affiliations 

  • 1 Community Health Department, UKM Medical Centre (UKMMC), Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Cheras, 56000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ; United Nations University-International Institute for Global Health, UNU-IIGH Building, UKM Medical Centre (UKMMC), Jalan Yaacob Latiff, 56000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 2 Community Health Department, UKM Medical Centre (UKMMC), Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Cheras, 56000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 3 Department of Community Medicine, International Medical University (IMU) No. 126, Jln Jalil Perkasa 19, Bukit Jalil, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 4 United Nations University-International Institute for Global Health, UNU-IIGH Building, UKM Medical Centre (UKMMC), Jalan Yaacob Latiff, 56000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ; International Centre for Case-Mix and Clinical Coding (ITCC), UKM Medical Centre (UKMMC), Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Cheras, 56000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Biomed Res Int, 2014;2014:505474.
PMID: 24982886 DOI: 10.1155/2014/505474

Abstract

Khat chewing is associated with unfavourable health outcomes and family dysfunction. Few studies have addressed the factors associated with khat chewing among Yemeni women. However, the family and husband effects on chewing khat by women have not been addressed. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of khat chewing among Yemeni women and its associated factors, particularly husbands and family factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 692 adult Yemeni women in the city of Sana'a in Yemen using structured "face to face" interviews. Mean (±SD) age of women was 27.3 years (±6.10). The prevalence of chewing khat by women was 29.6%. Factors associated with chewing khat among women were chewing khat by husbands (OR = 1.8; 95% CI: 1.26, 2.53), being married (OR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.20, 3.37), frequent family social gatherings (OR = 1.5; 95% CI: 1.06, 2.10), high family income (OR = 1.57; 95% CI: 1.12, 2.21), larger house (OR = 1.63; 95% CI: 1.16, 2.31), and age of women (OR = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.44, 0.92). It is concluded that khat chewing by women in this study was significantly associated with family factors and with khat chewing by their husbands. Urgent action is needed to control khat chewing particularly among women.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.