The prevalence of headache among khat chewers in Jizan, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to correlate the relation between Khat chewing habit and headache. Material and Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among 280 Saudi khat chewers [age range 20- 45 years]. The Questionnaires were distributed in King Fahad Central Hospital in Jizan, Jizan Dental Center, Sabya Hospital. The questionnaire investigated the demographic data, khat chewing habit, duration of chewing per day, the incidence of headache, and duration of headache during the day. Results: 120 subjects of khat chewer out of 280 reported headache (41.8%), 79.7 percent of the subjects suffering from headache reported duration of chewing about 5 hours per day and 17.9 % of the khat chewers reported dull type of headache. Conclusion: within the limitations of this study, the relation between chewing khat and headache was statistically significant.