Abstract:
The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of addiction and its predictor variables
among youths in Jarso woreda. Community based cross sectional study design used to conducted
this study from August 2017 to September 2019. Primary data was collected through
questionnaire. A total of 424 youths was taken by purposive and systematic sampling technique
to conduct this study and data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 software and 95%
confidence intervals was obtained as estimated the prevalence of addiction among youth in the
study area. Among 407 participants 153 (37.6%) were addicted for tobacco smoking and 122
(30%) were addicted for khat chewing. From the total addicted respondents 25 (6.1%) and
21(5.2 %) were females for tobacco smoking and khat chewing, respectively.
The age distribution of prevalence of the addiction was 194 (47.6%) among youths age 15 to 22
and 213 (52.4%) among youths age 23 to 29 years old. Most of the addicted 339 (83.3%) were
single and some of the causes of prevalence addiction of youths in this study were pleasure,
family conflict, hopelessness and peer pressure. Majority of the respondents reported health
preblom due to tobacco smoking were lung problem, asthma, sore throat and reduced physical
activities while for khat chewing were loss of appetite, sleeping disorder and constipation. Most
khat chewers were drank alcohol after chewing khat and smoked tobacco, coffee, peanut and soft
drinks while practicing khat chewing. Predominantly for younger age groups of the woreda
making available of various methods of recreation and pleasure place in order to enable them to
entertainment on their free time and create a work for jobless youth in Jarso woreda. Therefore,
the concerned bodies should tell the health consequences of khat and tobacco use.
