Khat (Catha edulis) chewing during pregnancy in Yemen: findings from a national population survey.

Aims: This study examines the prevalence of khat chewing among women during pregnancy and some of the risk factors for this habit in Yemen.

Methods: Survey data on 7,343 ever-married women from the Yemen Demographic and Maternal and Health Survey (YDMHS), conducted in 1997 are used. Women who had a live birth during the 5 years preceding the survey were asked if they chewed khat during each of their pregnancies (=1) or not (=0). Associations between chewing khat and socio-demographic risk factors were assessed using odds ratios from binary logistic regression models.

Results: About 40.7% of women surveyed reported chewing khat while pregnant during the 5 years before the survey. Old age, no education, rural residence, living in mountainous regions, and low wealth were significant risk factors for chewing khat.

Conclusions: Khat chewing during pregnancy is highly prevalent in Yemen. Socio-economically disadvantaged women were more likely to chew khat than other women.