Prevalence of problematic khat use and its associated factors among high school students in Legambo woreda, Ethiopia

Khat is a commonly used psychoactive substance in East Africa and the Middle East, with rising use among adolescents. While general prevalence has been studied, there is a lack of research on problematic khat use (PKU), a harmful pattern that leads to distress or impairment. Few studies employ consistent assessment tools to distinguish casual use from problematic use, thus limiting our understanding of its specific attributes and hindering effective prevention and intervention efforts.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of PKU and to identify factors that contribute to this issue among high school students.

A cross-sectional study was conducted at Legambo High School, Northeast Ethiopia, from April 26 to June 10, 2023. A total of 947 participants were selected through systematic random sampling. PKU was assessed using the Problematic Khat Use Screening Test (PKUST-17). Data were entered into Epi-Data version 4.6 and exported to SPSS version 26 for analysis. Binary logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with PKU. Variables with a p-value < 0.25 in the bivariate analysis were included in the multivariate logistic regression model using the enter method. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated, and a p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

This study found that 19.7% of participants had PKU, accounting for 46.5% (95% CI: 41.7-51.5) of students who used khat, with an overall khat use prevalence of 42.3% (95% CI: 38.3-44.5) among high school students. Factors associated with PKU included exposure to traumatic events (AOR = 3.1, 95% CI: 1.7-4.9), age < 20 years (AOR = 4.9, 95% CI: 2.1-11.6), age 20-24 years (AOR = 3.2, 95% CI: 1.4-7.1), poor social support (AOR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.1-4.3), depression (AOR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2-0.8), paternal substance use (AOR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2-0.6), and satisfactory academic performance (AOR = 3.1, 95% CI: 1.4-6.7).

In this study, nearly one in five participants exhibited PKU, linked to exposure to traumatic event, poor social support, and low parental education, while strong academic performance was protective. The study highlights the need for school-based mental health programs and standardized diagnostic criteria for PKU. Prevention efforts should prioritize youth exposed to trauma, with limited support, and from low-education households.