Wogayehu Biruk, Demissie Tsegaye, Wolka Eskinder, Alemayehu Mekuriaw
Department of Public Health, Arbaminch College of Health Sciences, Arbaminch, Ethiopia.
Department of Public Health, School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wolaita Sodo University, Sodo, Ethiopia.
Front Pediatr. 2025 Feb 25;13:1416027. doi: 10.3389/fped.2025.1416027. eCollection 2025.
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.
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 -value of <0.05 was considered a significant difference in low birth weight between the cases and controls.
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.
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.
出生体重对新生儿早期死亡率、发病率及长期健康结局有显著预测作用。埃塞俄比亚有许多婴儿出生时体重过低，但此前很少有病例对照研究探讨与恰特草消费及低出生体重（LBW）相关的风险变量。因此，本研究旨在确定埃塞俄比亚南部哈拉巴库里托综合医院中与低出生体重相关的产妇恰特草使用情况以及产妇社会人口学和产科风险因素。
2023年10月1日至2024年2月27日，在埃塞俄比亚南部哈拉巴地区的哈拉巴综合医院，对334名新生儿（111例病例和223名对照）采用基于医院的病例对照研究设计。采用连续抽样方法选取病例和对照。使用Stata 14.0拟合双变量和多变量逻辑回归模型，以估计产妇恰特草使用情况及其他因素对低出生体重的影响。P值<0.05被认为病例组和对照组在低出生体重方面存在显著差异。
我们发现，病例组和对照组出生时的平均年龄分别为25.4±4.57岁和24.2±3.96周。文盲（调整后比值比[AOR]=3.7，95%置信区间1.34，10.45）、农村居住（AOR=4.1，95%置信区间1.51，11.35）、孕周<37周（AOR=16.5，95%置信区间7.05，38.55）、产妇上臂中段周长（MUAC）<23 cm（AOR=4.7，95%置信区间1.89，11.65）、体重增加<12 kg（AOR=4.8，95%置信区间1.22，18.59）、每月使用恰特草（AOR=9.5，95%置信区间2.13，41.98）、每周使用恰特草（AOR=11.1，95%置信区间3.69，33.40）以及每天使用恰特草（AOR=14.1，95%置信区间4.74，42.03）是分娩低出生体重新生儿的决定因素。
本研究证据表明，文盲、农村居住、孕周<37周、产妇MUAC<23 cm、体重增加<12 kg、每月使用恰特草、每周使用恰特草以及每天使用恰特草是低出生体重的独立预测因素。建议的策略包括对已确定的可改变变量进行早期识别和管理。我们建议恰特草控制方面的利益相关者致力于提供健康教育和提高认识，将妇女恰特草使用情况纳入恰特草控制政策，并设计针对妇女戒除恰特草使用的干预措施。
