Abstract
Background: Substance use is a major public health problem, necessitating further investigation in Saudi Arabia. This research was carried out to evaluate the patterns of substance use among Saudi women. Method:This was a case-control studyconducted in Jeddah. Data was collected and analyzed using Chi-square tests. Results: The mean age of the cases (mean± SD) was 29.9±10.9 years, while that of controls was 33.7±10.9 years. Most (71%) cases were smoking nicotine, (61.8%)using cannabis, and (47.3%) using amphetamine. Most of them were single (37%), separated (4.8%), or divorced (24.2%). More cases than controls were likely to have been in multiple marriages (p<0.001), have a lower education level (p<0.001), be unemployed (p<0.001), have a household income of less than 5000 SR (p<0.001), and live in families in conflicts (p<0.001).Tuberculosis (p=0.012), HIV (p=0.036), hepatitis C or B (p=0.044), and sickle cell disease (p<0.001)were more prevalent in cases than controls.Casesalso hada significantly higher prevalence of schizophrenia, depression, bipolar and personality disorders (all p<0.001) than controls. Conclusion:These findings indicate the high prevalence of substance use in young Saudi females and the association with socio-economic, demographic, and mental health factors.
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