Queen Mary University of London, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Institute of Dentistry, 4 Newark Street, London E1 2 AT, UK.
BMC Public Health. 2012 Jun 27;12:486. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-486.
The chewing of khat leaf with tobacco smoking amongst Yemenis, Somalis and Ethiopians is reported to impact oral and general health. The health status and particularly dental and medical care attendance of UK-khat chewers has not received attention. This study aimed to explore health status and dental and medical attendance and its associated factors in UK permanently resident Yemeni khat chewers.
A cross- sectional study with a purposively selected sample of 204 khat chewers was conducted. Data were collected through face to face interviews. Data analysis included descriptive, Chi-square tests and binary logistic regressions.
The mean age for this study sample was 44.84 (SD = ±19.70) years and 35% were employed. Forty five percent reported symptomatic medical attendance for self reported health conditions in the last two weeks whilst 44% had symptomatic dental attendance. Higher khat chewing dependency levels associated positively with both symptomatic dental and medical attendance (p = 0.004, OR = 1.14, 95%CI = 1.04-1.25; p = 0.003; OR = 1.16, 95%CI = 1.05-1.29, respectively). Higher social participation levels associated negatively with symptomatic dental attendance (p = 0.034, OR = 0.98, 95%CI = 0.96-0.99) whilst increase in age and self-reported health conditions associated positively with symptomatic medical attendance (p = 0.030, OR = 1.03, 95%CI = 1.01-1.06; p = 0.001, OR = 4.51, 95%CI = 2.02-10.08, respectively).
In this study of khat chewers, a significant proportion reported symptomatic dental and medical attendance. Demographic, psychosocial and self reported general health conditions were associated significantly with dental and medical attendance. Strategies to improve the dental and medical care attendance amongst this group should focus on these and other unexplored underlying factors.
据报道，也门、索马里和埃塞俄比亚人咀嚼阿拉伯茶叶并与烟草一起吸烟，这会影响口腔和整体健康。然而，英国的阿拉伯茶使用者的健康状况，尤其是他们的牙科和医疗保健就诊情况，尚未得到关注。本研究旨在探讨英国永久性居住的也门阿拉伯茶使用者的健康状况以及他们的牙科和医疗就诊情况及其相关因素。
本研究采用了一项横断面研究，对 204 名阿拉伯茶使用者进行了有针对性的抽样。通过面对面访谈收集数据。数据分析包括描述性分析、卡方检验和二元逻辑回归。
本研究样本的平均年龄为 44.84 岁（标准差为±19.70），35%的人有工作。45%的人报告在过去两周内因自我报告的健康状况出现症状性医疗就诊，而 44%的人出现症状性牙科就诊。较高的阿拉伯茶依赖程度与症状性牙科和医疗就诊均呈正相关（p=0.004，OR=1.14，95%CI=1.04-1.25；p=0.003；OR=1.16，95%CI=1.05-1.29）。较高的社会参与水平与症状性牙科就诊呈负相关（p=0.034，OR=0.98，95%CI=0.96-0.99），而年龄增长和自我报告的健康状况与症状性医疗就诊呈正相关（p=0.030，OR=1.03，95%CI=1.01-1.06；p=0.001，OR=4.51，95%CI=2.02-10.08）。
在这项对阿拉伯茶使用者的研究中，相当一部分人报告出现症状性牙科和医疗就诊。人口统计学、心理社会和自我报告的一般健康状况与牙科和医疗就诊显著相关。改善该人群牙科和医疗保健就诊率的策略应侧重于这些因素以及其他未被探索的潜在因素。
