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Background: There are compelling theoretical and empirical reasons that link household food insecurity to mental distress in the setting where both problems are common. However, little is known about their association during pregnancy in Ethiopia.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the association of household food insecurity with mental distress during pregnancy. Six hundred and forty-two pregnant women were recruited from 11 health centers and one hospital. Probability proportional to size (PPS) and consecutive sampling techniques were employed to recruit study subjects until the desired sample size was obtained. The Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) was used to measure mental distress and a 9-item Household Food Insecurity Access Scale was used to measure food security status. Descriptive and inferential statistics were computed accordingly. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the effect of food insecurity on mental distress.Results: Fifty eight of the respondents (9%) were moderately food insecure and 144 of the respondents (22.4%) had mental distress. Food insecurity was also associated with mental distress. Pregnant women living in food insecure households were 4 times more likely to have mental distress than their counterparts (COR = 3.77, 95% CI: 2.17, 6.55). After controlling for confounders, a multivariate logistic regression model supported a link between food insecurity and mental distress (AOR = 4.15, 95% CI: 1.67, 10.32).Conclusion: The study found a significant association between food insecurity and mental distress. However, the mechanism by which food insecurity is associated with mental distress is not clear. Further investigation is therefore needed to understand either how food insecurity during pregnancy leads to mental distress or weather mental distress is a contributing factor in the development of food insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Khat is widely used in East African countries including Ethiopia. A growing body of evidence indicates that long-term khat use is associated with various health consequences. The aim of this study was to examine the magnitude and correlates of khat use in pregnant women.Methods: This study used a cross-sectional, face-to-face interview design that included 642 pregnant women receiving antenatal care services at primary care centers in Ethiopia. A series of chi-square tests and regression models were conducted to examine whether khat use status (i.e., 123 current khat users, 41 former khat users, and 478 non-users) was associated with socio-demographic, mental distress, and substance use measures.Results: As compared with non-users, current and former khat users had higher levels of depressive symptoms and distress. Khat users minimized potential health risks associated with khat use. Social and motivational factors related to khat use were different between current and former khat users.Conclusions: Findings of this study suggest a substantial prevalence of khat use among pregnant women in Ethiopia and highlight the role of socio-demographic and cultural influences on khat use during pregnancy. Health care professionals in the region where khat is available are encouraged to ask their female patients about khat use and encourage them to refrain from use while they are pregnant. The positive link between khat and mental distress warrants further research focusing on biological, psychological, and social mechanisms of this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]