Prevalence and Associated Factors of Khat Chewing among Undergraduate Students in Wolaita Sodo University: A Cross Sectional Study

Background- Khat is currently recognized as one of the substances that are of concern in Ethiopian universities. However no studies have been conducted to investigate the habit in the study area. Objectives: To assess the prevalence of khat chewing and associated factor among undergraduate students of Wolaita Sodo university. Methods- A cross-sectional study was conducted among 527 students. Multistage sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data entry and cleaning were done using EPIINFO Version 7 statistical software and analyzed using SPSS software package version 16.0. Descriptive statistics were done to describe the study population. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were employed to identify factors associated with khat chewing. Odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was computed to assess the level of association and statistical significance.Result: The prevalence of khat chewing among undergraduate regular students was 28.2% ,[95%CI(26.40%-30.16%)] Being male[AOR=2.12, 95% CI (1.27-3.51)], attained high school in urban area [AOR=1.63,95%CI(1.02-2.62)], year of study except second year [AOR=2.87,95%CI(1.59-5.17), AOR=2.09,95%CI(1.12-3.95), AOR=4.77,95%CI(1.39-16.30)] having family member who chew khat [AOR=2.28,95% CI=(1.41-3.72)], khat chewing practice common in their village[AOR=1.85,95% CI=(1.13-3.03)] were found to be significantly associated with khat chewing. Conclusion:-The prevalence of khat chewing is high among undergraduate students of Wolaita Sodo University. Therefore university authority needs to work in collaboration with the surrounding community and responsible public authorities in addition to provision of guidance for the students on the prevention and risk of khat chewing. Keywords: Khat, University student, Ethiopia.