Factor analysis – Eating patterns among khat chewers

OBJECTIVES: Khat is a green leafy plant that grows in many countries, including in the southwest of Saudi Arabia. It is estimated that one third of the people in Jazan chew khat, and the majority are males. The objective of this study was to identify the dietary patterns among khat-chewing students of Jazan University. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive analytical study was conducted at Jazan University. A total of 620 khat-chewing students participated in the study. Food intakes were collected through a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Dietary patterns were assessed by exploratory factor analysis based on the intake of the 17 food groups. A principal component analysis for factor extraction followed by varimax rotation was used. RESULTS: Based on the Kaiser criterion and the scree plot, factor analysis identified three patterns that accounted for 70.2% of the variability within the sample. The first factor (starch) was characterized by rice, bread, pizza, potato, traditional food, burger, snacks, and hot drinks. The second factor (meat products/fruit) included meat products, poultry, fish, cool drinks, and fruit. The third factor (dairy products/vegetables) included dairy, low-fat and fat-free dairy, fat, and vegetables. CONCLUSION: The present study identified dietary patterns among khat-chewing students via factor analysis. It is now important to identify a correlation between specific patterns and health status to implement dietary interventions.