AI Qualitative Analysis: Hajj Sun Protection Insights

According to the November 11, 2026 PLoS One study, Hajj pilgrims and nurses recognized sun exposure as a serious concern but had limited knowledge of ultraviolet radiation, UPF-rated products, and the difference between heat protection and UV protection.

The qualitative analysis of Hajj sun protection identified five themes from interviews conducted between June 20 and July 11, 2025: physical and emotional effects, knowledge gaps, cultural influences, practical barriers, and recommendations.

• The study interviewed 29 people in total, including 16 Saudi pilgrims and 13 registered nurses, between June 20 and July 11, 2025.
• The researchers reported that thematic saturation was reached after 16 pilgrim interviews and 13 nurse interviews, with the final two to three interviews in each group adding no new codes.
• Participants commonly understood sun exposure as a heat problem, while UV-specific harms and UPF labels were less familiar, according to the November 11, 2026 PLoS One study.
• Language differences, product cost, limited availability, clothing norms, discomfort, and forgotten umbrellas were reported as barriers to protection during Hajj.
• The study's participants recommended multilingual education before travel, improved access to affordable protective products, and culturally appropriate communication.

The November 11, 2026 PLoS One study used retrospective semi-structured interviews conducted through Zoom within approximately one month after the 2025 Hajj season. The researchers interviewed 16 Saudi pilgrims and 13 registered nurses who had worked in hospitals in Makkah and Madinah.

The researchers analyzed the interviews with Braun and Clarke's six-phase thematic analysis approach and used member checking, investigator triangulation, audit trails, and peer debriefing to support trustworthiness. The researchers also reported that Arabic interviews were translated into English and that an independent researcher audited a random 20% sample of translated transcripts.

Participants described exhaustion, dizziness, dehydration, fainting, irritability, and stress in relation to intense heat. One nurse said, "Some of my colleagues and pilgrims got heat exhaustion and fainted." The study authors clarified that these accounts primarily described heat-related illness rather than direct UV-specific effects.

The study found that participants often lacked familiarity with UPF-rated clothing, UV-protective umbrellas, and the UV index. One participant summarized the knowledge gap by saying, "Everyone knows the sun is harmful, but I don’t think we understand how exactly."

Cultural and religious interpretations also shaped behavior. One nurse explained that some older pilgrims believed "enduring the sun is part of the spiritual challenge, " while other participants described umbrella use as increasingly accepted during Hajj.

The study's interview design captured recalled experiences rather than directly observed behavior. The authors also limited the pilgrim sample to Saudi nationals during one Hajj season, so the findings should not be treated as representative of all international pilgrims.

Public health researchers should treat heat-related illness and UV-related harm as connected but distinct communication problems, according to the November 11, 2026 PLoS One study. Hydration, rest, and cooling address heat risk, while sunscreen and UPF-rated clothing or umbrellas address UV exposure; shade can contribute to protection from both hazards.

Health communication teams should test whether multilingual, visual, and culturally appropriate messages improve understanding before and during Hajj. The study's participants specifically recommended education in pilgrims' home countries and clearer information about UV-protective products before travel.

Nursing education should include environmental health communication for mass gatherings, according to the study's nurse participants. The interviews identified language barriers, limited formal training, and the difficulty of explaining protection quickly in crowded settings.

Researchers should preserve subgroup differences during analysis. The November 11, 2026 PLoS One study found that nurses emphasized systemic and communication barriers, while pilgrims more often emphasized cost, comfort, availability, and forgetting protective items.

Qualitative teams should separate participant perceptions from validated intervention effects. The study presented distribution points, official Hajj-kit products, and breathable protective clothing as participant recommendations, not as interventions tested for effectiveness.

The November 11, 2026 PLoS One study shows how qualitative interviews can reveal the difference between recognizing sun exposure as uncomfortable and understanding the specific risks of UV radiation. The study also demonstrates why public health teams need subgroup comparisons, multilingual analysis, and careful separation of participant recommendations from tested interventions.

AI qualitative analysis can help researchers move from 29 interviews to a traceable view of themes, barriers, quotations, and differences between pilgrims and nurses. Evidano supports this workflow by combining thematic analysis, cross-segment review, multilingual processing, and AI chat over research documents.

Researchers who want to analyze interviews, open-ended survey responses, or health documents more efficiently can Try Evidano for free.