title: Oral symptoms significantly higher among long-term khat (Catha edulis) users in Ethiopia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Associations between khat (Catha edulis) chewing and different adverse oral-dental health conditions have been reported, yet evidence is still lacking. This study was designed to investigate the association between long-term regular khat chewing and self-reported oral symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 1,255 university students in southern Ethiopia. Data on khat chewing status, a range of oral symptoms and other pertinent variables were collected using self-administered questionnaires. The association between long-term regular khat chewing and oral symptom count was investigated using negative binomial regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean oral symptom count among long-term regular khat chewers was 1.75 (standard deviation [SD], 2.18; standard error [SE], 0.31), whereas that among those who were not long-term regular khat chewers was 1.18 (SD, 1.68; SE, 0.10). After adjustment for other variables, long-term regular khat chewers had approximately 50% more oral symptoms than those who were not long-term chewers did (adjusted count ratio, 1.53; 95% confidence interval, 1.12 to 2.10).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term khat chewing negatively affects the oral health of young university students.
authors.affiliation: School of Public and Environmental Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Ayalew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Astatkie
authors.affiliation: Addis Continental Institute of Public Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Meaza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Demissie
authors.affiliation: Addis Continental Institute of Public Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Yemane
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Berhane
authors.affiliation: Addis Continental Institute of Public Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.|School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Alemayehu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Worku
keywords: Catha edulis; Khat; Oral health; Students; University