Abstract
BackgroundKhat chewing has become a common practice among university students in developing countries like Ethiopia. It has a potential effect on physical, mental, social and cognitive aspects of student functioning. In Ethiopia, study findings regarding the prevalence of khat chewing were highly dispersed and inconsistent. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis estimates the pooled prevalence of khat chewing and its predictors among Ethiopian university students.MethodA systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the prevalence and predictors of khat chewing among university students in Ethiopia. We searched literature from the databases of PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and the Cochrane Library. A total of 24 Ethiopian studies reporting the prevalence of khat chewing among university students were included. Data were extracted using a standardized data extraction format prepared in Microsoft Excel and the analysis was done using STATA 14 statistical software. To assess heterogeneity, the Cochrane Q test statistics and I2 test were used. Since the included studies exhibit high heterogeneity, a random effect meta-analysis model was computed to estimate the pooled prevalence of khat chewing. Moreover, the association between predictor variables, and khat chewing practice were examined.ResultsThe meta-analysis of 24 studies revealed that the pooled prevalence of khat chewing among university students in Ethiopia was 23.22% (95% CI: 19.5, 27.0). In the subgroup analysis, the highest prevalence was observed in Oromia region (31.6%; 95CI: 21.2, 41.9) whereas the lowest prevalence was observed in Amhara region (18.1%; 95%CI: 12.4, 23.8). Being male OR: 2.76 (95% CI 1.64, 4.63), family khat chewing practice OR: 2.91 (95% CI 1.06, 7.98), friend khat chewing habit OR: 4.74 (95% CI 3.48, 13.06), alcohol drinking OR: 7.06 (95% CI 5.65, 8.82) and cigarette smoking habit OR: 15.11 (95% CI 8.96, 25.51) were found to be predictors of khat chewing.ConclusionThe study found that the prevalence of khat chewing among university students was quite common, with slightly more than 1 in 5 students engaging in the use of this substance. Being male, family khat chewing practice, friend’s khat chewing habit, alcohol drinking, and cigarette smoking were found to be predictors of khat chewing practice among university students.
Highlights
Khat (Catha edulis) is an evergreen shrub that is planted and chewed in eastern through southern parts of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula [1]
The meta-analysis of 24 studies revealed that the pooled prevalence of khat chewing among university students in Ethiopia was 23.22%
The study found that the prevalence of khat chewing among university students was quite common, with slightly more than 1 in 5 students engaging in the use of this substance
Summary
Khat (Catha edulis) is an evergreen shrub that is planted and chewed in eastern through southern parts of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula [1]. It is believed that khat cultivation originated in Ethiopia, and was imported to Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa and Yemen. In some of these countries, khat chewing goes far back in history and has always been a kind of tradition [2]. The biochemically-active constituents of khat responsible for its psycho stimulant activity are the alkaloid chemicals called cathinone (first discovered in 1975 by the Laboratories of the United Nations) and cathine (a less potent form of cathinone) which are similar to the psychoactive substance amphetamine both structurally and functionally [7, 8]. Khat can result in loss of appetite, hyperactivity, euphoria, and enhanced intellectual efficiency [7, 9,10,11]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
