Factors associated with dental and medical care attendance in UK resident Yemeni khat chewers: a cross sectional study.
BACKGROUND
The chewing of khat leaf with tobacco smoking amongst Yemenis, Somalis and Ethiopians is reported to impact oral and general health. The health status and particularly dental and medical care attendance of UK-khat chewers has not received attention. This study aimed to explore health status and dental and medical attendance and its associated factors in UK permanently resident Yemeni khat chewers.


METHODS
A cross- sectional study with a purposively selected sample of 204 khat chewers was conducted. Data were collected through face to face interviews. Data analysis included descriptive, Chi-square tests and binary logistic regressions.


RESULTS
The mean age for this study sample was 44.84 (SD = ±19.70) years and 35% were employed. Forty five percent reported symptomatic medical attendance for self reported health conditions in the last two weeks whilst 44% had symptomatic dental attendance. Higher khat chewing dependency levels associated positively with both symptomatic dental and medical attendance (p = 0.004, OR = 1.14, 95%CI = 1.04-1.25; p = 0.003; OR = 1.16, 95%CI = 1.05-1.29, respectively). Higher social participation levels associated negatively with symptomatic dental attendance (p = 0.034, OR = 0.98, 95%CI = 0.96-0.99) whilst increase in age and self-reported health conditions associated positively with symptomatic medical attendance (p = 0.030, OR = 1.03, 95%CI = 1.01-1.06; p = 0.001, OR = 4.51, 95%CI = 2.02-10.08, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
In this study of khat chewers, a significant proportion reported symptomatic dental and medical attendance. Demographic, psychosocial and self reported general health conditions were associated significantly with dental and medical attendance. Strategies to improve the dental and medical care attendance amongst this group should focus on these and other unexplored underlying factors.
Queen Mary University of London, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Institute of Dentistry, 4 Newark Street, London E1 2 AT, UK. s.kassim@qmul.ac.uk
Saba
S
Kassim
Ray
R
Croucher
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D029754:Catha; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders; D006113:United Kingdom; D015006:Yemen / Q000208:ethnology; D055815:Young Adult