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Association between maternal khat use and other determinants and low birth weight in Halaba Zone, South Ethiopia: an
Biruk Wogayehu1,2, Tsegaye Demissie2, Eskinder Wolka2
1Department of Public Health, Arbaminch College of Health Sciences, Arbaminch, Ethiopia.
Insights
Maternal khat use, illiteracy, and poor nutrition are significant risk factors for low birth weight (LBW) in Ethiopia. Interventions should focus on health education and khat cessation programs for women to improve newborn health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Maternal and Child Health
- Public Health
- Substance Use Research
Background:
- Birth weight is a critical predictor of neonatal mortality, morbidity, and long-term health.
- Low birth weight (LBW) is a significant concern in Ethiopia, with limited research on associated risk factors like khat consumption.
- Understanding these risk factors is crucial for developing targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify maternal khat use and sociodemographic/obstetric risk factors associated with LBW.
- To provide evidence for public health strategies in Halaba Kulito General Hospital, Ethiopia.
Main Methods:
- A hospital-based case-control study involving 334 neonates (111 cases, 223 controls).
- Consecutive sampling was employed for case and control selection.
- Bi-variable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted using Stata 14.0.
Main Results:
- Illiteracy, rural residence, preterm birth (<37 weeks), low maternal mid-upper arm circumference (<23 cm), and inadequate weight gain (<12 kg) were significant predictors of LBW.
- Maternal khat use, at monthly, weekly, and daily frequencies, showed a dose-dependent association with LBW, with adjusted odds ratios ranging from 9.5 to 14.1.
- Gestational age <37 weeks had the highest adjusted odds ratio (16.5) for LBW.
Conclusions:
- Illiteracy, rural residence, poor maternal nutrition indicators, preterm birth, and maternal khat use are independent predictors of LBW in the study area.
- Interventions should address modifiable risk factors, including health education on khat use and cessation programs.
- Stakeholders are urged to integrate khat use awareness and control policies targeting women to reduce LBW prevalence.
Introduction:
Early newborn mortality, morbidity, and long-term health outcomes are significantly predicted by birth weight. Many babies are born underweight in Ethiopia, but few case-control studies have previously examined the risk variables associated with khat consumption and low birth weight (LBW). Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify maternal khat use and maternal sociodemographic and obstetric risk factors associated with LBW in the Halaba Kulito General Hospital, southern Ethiopia.
Methods:
A hospital-based case-control study design was used on 334 neonates (111 cases and 223 controls) at Halaba General Hospital in Halaba Zone, southern Ethiopia, from 01 October 2023 to 27 February 2024. A consecutive sampling method was used to select both the cases and controls. Bi-variable and multivariable logistic regression models were fitted using Stata 14.0 to estimate the effect of maternal khat use and other factors on low birth weight. A p-value of <0.05 was considered a significant difference in low birth weight between the cases and controls.
Results:
We found that the mean age of the cases and controls at birth was 25.4 ± 4.57 years and 24.2 ± 3.96 weeks, respectively. Illiteracy [adjusted OR (AOR) = 3.7, 95%CI 1.34, 10.45], rural residence (AOR = 4.1, 95%CI 1.51, 11.35), gestational age <37weeks (AOR = 16.5, 95%CI 7.05, 38.55), maternal mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) <23 cm (AOR = 4.7, 95%CI 1.89, 11.65), weight gain <12 kg (AOR = 4.8, 95%CI 1.22, 18.59), monthly khat use (AOR = 9.5, 95%CI 2.13, 41.98), weekly khat use (AOR = 11.1, 95%CI 3.69, 33.40), and daily khat use (AOR = 14.1, 95%CI 4.74, 42.03) were the determinant factors for delivering a newborn with low birth weight.
Conclusion:
The evidence from this study suggests that illiteracy, rural residence, gestational age <37weeks, maternal MUAC <23 cm, weight gain <12 kg, monthly khat use, weekly khat use, and daily khat use were independent predictors of low birth weight. Suggested strategies involve the early identification and management of identified modifiable variables. We recommend that stakeholders in khat control commit to providing health education and awareness, incorporating khat use among women in the khat control policy, and designing interventions for the cessation of khat use among women.
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