Abstract
Background: Khat chewing is known to be highly prevalent among the Jazan population. The movement of khat across the border with Yemen is probably the most decisive factor shaping the availability and pattern of use of khat. This assumption is tested in this article in the light of sudden changes brought about by political tension across the border. This study intends to explore the perceptions of male students of the University Jazan about the effect of the new situation on their habit.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among a representative sample of 425 male students selected by stratified random sampling. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics and a chi-squared test were used to analyze the data.
Results: The overall khat chewing prevalence among male university students was found to be 25.8% (95% CI = 22.0-29.8). 83% of khat chewers admitted that the situation across the border had affected their khat chewing habit. 42% of chewers had noticed an increase in khat price. There was a significant difference in the pattern of khat use (p = 0.0063), duration of sessions (p = 0.0003), and amount consumed (p < 0.0001) before and during the war.
Conclusions: The khat use trend is decreasing among male university students in the Jazan region during the war. Circumstances brought by the war helped that change. Our findings suggest that if the restriction on khat importation from Yemen should increase, then the price will rise, and it will lead to lower amounts of khat in the Jazan region.