Non-Cochrane · aetiology · PM41634690
Association between khat chewing and temporomandibular disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.
Al-Qadhi Gamilah, Al-Wesabi Mohammed, Almashraqi Abeer A, et al. · BMC oral health · 2026 · PubMed · doi:10.1186/s12903-026-07789-7
Findings
Population Adults aged 18 years or older
3 findings
| Khat chewing (exposure) | Non-chewers | Osteoarthritic changes of the TMJ on imaging Not specified · Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Djibouti · Radiological studies | OR 6.83 [2.97, 15.70] GRADE not reported 2 studies · 145 participants |
| Khat chewing (exposure) | Non-chewers | Temporomandibular disorders (clinical signs and symptoms) Not specified · Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Djibouti · Overall | OR 2.48 [1.20, 5.09] 15 [3, 31] more per 100 Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision, inconsistency, publication bias 6 studies · 2350 participants |
| Khat chewing (exposure) | Non-chewers | Temporomandibular disorders (clinical signs and symptoms) Not specified · Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Djibouti · Sensitivity analysis excluding Al Dailami 2019 and Al Moaleem 2017 | OR 4.27 [2.85, 6.40] GRADE not reported 4 studies · 1897 participants |
Included primary studies 14
Open in Studies| Study | Year | Also included by | Outcomes it informs here | Trial data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Moaleem 2017 Prevalence and Severity of Temporomandibular Disorders among Undergraduate Medical Students in Association with Khat Chewing. PMID:28050980 | 2017 | this review only | Temporomandibular disorders (clinical signs and symptoms) | not extracted yet |
| Al-Dailami 2019 Clinical evaluation of temporomandibular joint disorders among dental students at the University of science and technology, Sana'a, Yemen DOI:10.4103/ijmd.ijmd_52_19 | 2019 | this review only | Temporomandibular disorders (clinical signs and symptoms) | not extracted yet |
| Al-Sharabi 2002 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | Temporomandibular disorders (clinical signs and symptoms) | not extracted yet |
| Al-zofi 2021 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Almashraqi 2018 An MRI evaluation of the effects of qat chewing habit on the temporomandibular joint. PMID:29958937 | 2018 | this review only | Temporomandibular disorders (clinical signs and symptoms); Osteoarthritic changes of the TMJ on imaging | not extracted yet |
| Almashraqi 2019 (published 2022) Evaluation of the effects of chronic qat chewing on lateral pterygoid muscle using MRI. PMID:31852377 | 2022 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Almashraqi 2020 Cone beam computed tomography findings in temporomandibular joint of chronic qat chewers: Dimensional and osteoarthritic changes. PMID:32955738 | 2020 | this review only | Temporomandibular disorders (clinical signs and symptoms); Osteoarthritic changes of the TMJ on imaging | not extracted yet |
| Almashraqi 2021 Cone beam computed tomography findings in the temporomandibular joints of chronic qat chewers: Radiographic bone density and trabecular… PMID:33478931 | 2021 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Astatkie 2015 Oral symptoms significantly higher among long-term khat (Catha edulis) users in Ethiopia. PMID:25773437 | 2015 | this review only | Temporomandibular disorders (clinical signs and symptoms) | not extracted yet |
| Bakhadher 2018 Adverse effects and temporomandibular joint disorder associated with Khat chewing: a prospective study DOI:10.4066/biomedicalresearch.29-18-1111 | 2018 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Bakhadher 2018 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Bennani 2021 Effect of Khat Consumption on Oral Health: Study Carried Out in Djibouti City DOI:10.33425/2639-9490.1077 | 2021 | this review only | Temporomandibular disorders (clinical signs and symptoms) | not extracted yet |
| Guerra Cobian 2012 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Hill 1987 The oral and dental effects of q'at chewing. PMID:3472143 | 1987 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
Review question
| Element | Planned (methods) | Found (results) |
|---|---|---|
| Population | Adults aged 18 years or older | Adults in Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and Djibouti; 3526 subjects (1625 khat chewers, 1901 non-chewers) (n=13 studies) |
| Intervention | Khat chewing (exposure) | Khat chewing (n=13) |
| Comparison | Non-chewers of khat | Non-chewers (n=11); two studies included only khat chewers |
| Outcomes | TMDs by clinical or radiographical data | Clinical TMDs signs and symptoms (n=6 pooled); radiographic osteoarthritic changes (n=2 pooled) |
| Study designs | Observational studies: cross-sectional, cohort, case-control | Cross-sectional (n=8); case-control (n=5) |
| Timing | Not specified | Not specified |