Road Traffic Injuries and Related Safety Measures: A Multicentre Analysis at Military Hospitals in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Road traffic injuries are one of the major public safety issues around the world, as they put a great burden on countries' economies. Saudi Arabia has a good road transportation system, but still, road-related fatalities are higher in this country. The main purpose of this study was to determine the association between the severity of injuries caused by road traffic collision and safety measures taken by the drivers admitted to the emergency departments at two military hospitals in Tabuk, a city in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A total of 342 male drivers who had injuries due to road traffic collision took part in this multicentre, cross-sectional study. The research sites were King Salman Armed Forces Hospital and King Khalid Armed Forces Hospital in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. The data were collected using a common protocol and a self-reported questionnaire with the help of convenience sampling approach. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were done using IBM SPSS version 23. RESULTS: Nearly 62.0% of the male drivers were aged less than 36 years. About 90% of the drivers were from low- and middle-income groups. Logistic regression analysis indicated that drivers who had road traffic collision and used mobile phones while driving were four times more likely to have severe injuries (OR = 3.89; 95% CI (2.53, 5.95)), those who drove the vehicle at an excessive speed limit were three times more likely to have severe injuries (OR = 2.71; 95% CI (1.01, 4.97)), and those who attempted to overtake another vehicle were two times more likely to have severe injuries (OR = 1.85; 95% CI (1.24, 3.77)). CONCLUSION: Based on the results of the present study, the most important safety measures which contributed the most to road traffic collision were use of mobile phones while driving the vehicle, driving at an excessive speed limit, irregularity in maintaining the vehicle, attempt to pass other vehicles, and not following the traffic rules. All the safety measures are protective, but if care is not taken, they will risk the life. There is an urgent need to spread traffic safety awareness in this region.

Khat (Catha edulis Forsk.) Dependence Potential and Pattern of Use in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Catha edulis Forsk. (Khat) is used for its psychoactive effects among people in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, although its utilization is illegal in some countries such as Saudi Arabia. This study examined the pattern of Khat use and assessed the applicability of the Drug Abuse Screening Test-10 (DAST-10) to measure Khat dependence. METHODS: A pretested questionnaire was used to gather data from 603 respondents. Variables included demographic characteristics, pattern of use, reasons for Khat chewing, and DAST-10. Stepwise-logistic regression was used to explore predictors of Khat dependence. RESULTS: The majority of the respondents were married, had a secondary school level of education, were employed, were younger than 35 years old, and were living in rural areas. Many chewers gave more than one reason for using Khat. It was mainly used to increase mental capacity, physical strength, and social entertainment, as well as enhance cheerfulness and orgasms. Statistical modeling of Khat dependence suggested that the most significant predictors were residence (OR = 1.67, P < 0.02), frequency of Khat chewing (OR = 4.8, P < 0.01), age of starting Khat chewing (OR = 1.15, P < 0.01), and time of Khat effect (OR = 1.15, P < 0.04). CONCLUSION: Our study provides important information on the pattern of Khat use and its potential to cause dependence.

Khat Chewing Habits in the Population of the Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia: Prevalence and Associated Factors.

The use of khat (Catha edulis) is a major public health and social problem that is believed to be growing globally. The khat chewing habit is prevalent in all areas of the Jazan region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). However, few studies have been conducted at the community level to investigate the khat chewing habits in this area. This study was conducted with the aim of assessing the prevalence and predictors of khat chewing among the Jazan community population. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample (n = 4,500) of the Jizani population who attended primary heath care centers in Jazan region. The participants were selected using a two-stage cluster random sampling. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The overall lifetime prevalence of khat chewing was 33.2% (95% CI 31.8-34.7) and was significantly higher for males 42.2% (95% CI 40.4-43.9) than for females 11.3% (95% CI 9.6-13.1) (P < 0.001). Current khat chewers accounted for 28.7% (95% CI 27.4-30.1) of the population sampled; 36.9% (95% CI 35.2-38.6) of whom were males, which is a significantly higher percentage than the 8.7% (95% CI 7.3-10.4) of current khat chewers who were females (P < 0.001). The multivariate logistic regression analysis suggests that the most important independent predictors of khat chewing were having a friend who chewed khat (OR = 20.1, P < 0.001), participant's smoking status (OR) = 3.9, P < 0.001), friend's smoking status (OR = 2.2, P < 0.001), gender (OR = 2.2, P < 0.001) and educational level (OR = 1.5, P < 0.05). A large proportion of the Jizani populations chew khat. Government and non-governmental organizations NGOs should design and strengthen community prevention programs to curb the high prevalence of khat use.