Ali Abdiwahab M, Mutuku Mirriam N, Hashi Abdiwahab, Muhumed Omar M
Amoud University, School of Postgraduate Studies & Research, Department of Public Health, Hargeisa, Somaliland.
Amoud University, School of Postgraduate Studies & Research, Hargeisa, Somaliland.
Ecancermedicalscience. 2025 Mar 25;19:1880. doi: 10.3332/ecancer.2025.1880. eCollection 2025.
Khat chewing is a common cultural practice in countries bordering the Red Sea and the east coast of Africa. Despite some indications in the literature, its association with upper digestive tract (UDT) cancers is under-researched. This study investigated the relationship between khat chewing and UDT cancers among male patients in Hargeisa using a case-control design. A total of 97 respondents were included, 36 cases and 61 controls from the only two cancer clinics in Somaliland, Nageeye Cancer Clinic and Needle Hospital. The study used non-probability purposive sampling, data collection was conducted using a structured questionnaire, and data entry and cleaning were performed using SPSS version 22. Analysis was carried out using Stata MP 16. The findings revealed an association between duration, frequency and amount of khat chewing and the risk of developing UDT cancers. Specifically, individuals who chewed khat for more than 20 years had a 7.05 times higher risk ( < 0.05), those who chewed daily had a 6.89 times higher risk ( < 0.05), and heavy chewers (>600 g) had a 6.60 times higher risk ( < 0.05) of developing UDT cancers. The associations found in this study between khat chewing and UDT cancers suggest an urgent need for public health strategies, including education and policy reforms, to address and reduce the health risks posed by khat chewing in Somaliland. The study also highlighted the importance of community education and awareness programs to mitigate the adverse health effects of khat.
嚼恰特草是红海沿岸和非洲东海岸国家常见的文化习俗。尽管文献中有一些相关迹象，但对其与上消化道（UDT）癌症的关联研究不足。本研究采用病例对照设计，调查了哈尔格萨男性患者中嚼恰特草与UDT癌症之间的关系。共纳入97名受访者，其中36例为病例组，61例为对照组，来自索马里兰仅有的两家癌症诊所，即纳盖耶癌症诊所和尼德尔医院。该研究采用非概率目的抽样，使用结构化问卷进行数据收集，并使用SPSS 22版进行数据录入和清理。使用Stata MP 16进行分析。研究结果显示，嚼恰特草的持续时间、频率和数量与患UDT癌症的风险之间存在关联。具体而言，嚼恰特草超过20年的个体患癌风险高7.05倍（<0.05），每天嚼的个体患癌风险高6.89倍（<0.05），重度嚼食者（>600克）患UDT癌症的风险高6.60倍（<0.05）。本研究中发现的嚼恰特草与UDT癌症之间的关联表明，迫切需要制定公共卫生策略，包括开展教育和进行政策改革，以应对和降低索马里兰嚼恰特草带来的健康风险。该研究还强调了社区教育和宣传项目对于减轻恰特草对健康的不利影响的重要性。
