Health researchers and public health teams need to understand why people recognize environmental risks but do not consistently act on them. A new Hajj sun protection study provides a focused example: researchers examined how pilgrims and nurses understood ultraviolet radiation, sunscreen, umbrellas, and UPF-rated clothing after the 2025 Hajj season. The study used semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis to identify the cultural, practical, and communication barriers behind sun protection behavior. This article summarizes the findings and shows how AI-enabled qualitative research can help teams move from interview transcripts to defensible themes more efficiently. The central lesson is that heat-related illness and UV-related harm must be communicated as distinct risks, while interventions must also reflect language, culture, affordability, comfort, and religious context.
Key Takeaways
The PLoS One study published on November 11, 2026, found that Hajj pilgrims and nurses recognized sun exposure as a problem but had limited understanding of ultraviolet radiation, UPF-rated products, and the difference between heat protection and UV protection.
- The study interviewed 29 people after the 2025 Hajj season: 16 Saudi pilgrims and 13 registered nurses.
- Researchers conducted retrospective Zoom interviews between June 20 and July 11, 2025, then identified five major themes through inductive thematic analysis.
- The study found that participants commonly described exhaustion, dizziness, dehydration, and fainting as consequences of sun exposure, although these symptoms primarily indicate heat-related illness rather than direct UV injury.
- The study reported that cost, product availability, language differences, cultural clothing norms, discomfort, and spiritual interpretations of hardship limited consistent sun protection.
- The study recommended structured pre-Hajj education, multilingual communication, affordable protective products, and messages that distinguish heat-related illness from UV-related harm.
What the Hajj Sun Protection Study Examined
The 2026 PLoS One study examined awareness, attitudes, and behaviors related to sun protection among Saudi pilgrims and nurses who worked during Hajj. The researchers used semi-structured interviews because the Hajj context had limited qualitative evidence on sunscreen, UPF-rated clothing, UPF-rated umbrellas, and UV awareness.
The researchers interviewed 16 Saudi pilgrims and 13 registered nurses through Zoom between June 20 and July 11, 2025, within approximately one month of the 2025 Hajj season. The research team assessed thematic saturation separately for pilgrims and nurses and reported that no new codes emerged during the final two to three interviews in each group.
The study analyzed transcripts using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis approach. Three researchers independently coded an initial 20% sample, developed a shared codebook, and resolved coding discrepancies through team discussion. The researchers also used member checking, peer debriefing, audit trails, and investigator triangulation to support trustworthiness.
The study’s authors cautioned that the sample included only Saudi pilgrims from one Hajj season, so the findings should not be treated as representative of the broader international Hajj population. The study also relied on recalled and self-reported behavior rather than direct observation.
Findings Snapshot: Five Themes in Hajj Sun Protection Research
| Theme | Evidence from the 2026 study | Implication for researchers |
|---|---|---|
| Physical and emotional impact | Participants described exhaustion, dizziness, dehydration, fainting, irritability, fatigue, and stress during the 2025 Hajj season. | Interview analysis should separate reported heat symptoms from UV-specific effects such as sunburn and eye damage. |
| Awareness and knowledge gaps | Participants knew general advice such as avoiding direct sun and drinking water, but several participants were unfamiliar with UPF and the UV Index. | Coding should distinguish general awareness from practical understanding and behavior change. |
| Cultural and religious influences | The study reported that some participants viewed enduring sun exposure as part of the spiritual challenge of Hajj, while umbrella use had become more socially accepted. | Theme development should preserve participants’ cultural framing rather than labeling beliefs only as compliance barriers. |
| Practical and systemic barriers | Participants described language differences, forgotten or heavy umbrellas, limited access, uncertain pricing, and clothing constraints. | Cross-segment analysis can reveal where pilgrim experiences differ from nurses’ observations. |
| Recommendations for improvement | Participants prioritized pre-Hajj education, multilingual information, accessible protective products, and breathable culturally appropriate clothing. | Qualitative synthesis can connect participant recommendations to specific intervention opportunities. |
What Hajj Sun Protection Research Means for Public Health Teams
The 2026 PLoS One study indicates that public health teams should communicate heat-related illness and UV-related harm as separate but connected risks. Hydration, rest, and cooling address heat-related illness, while sunscreen and UPF-rated clothing or umbrellas address UV exposure; shade can contribute to protection against both risks.
The study found that participants often judged protection through the experience of heat and comfort. One nurse explained, "Honestly, I have no knowledge about UV-protection products, " while another nurse said UPF was the "first time I heard about UPF." These quotations show why educational campaigns need to explain product labels and mechanisms, not only advise people to avoid the sun.
The study also found that communication design matters. One nurse described language as "The biggest challenge" when supporting pilgrims who did not understand Arabic or English. Multilingual, visual, and culturally appropriate materials may therefore be more actionable than general health messages, although the study did not test the effectiveness of any specific intervention.
For qualitative researchers, the study demonstrates the value of comparing participant groups. Pilgrims emphasized personal barriers such as cost, comfort, and forgetting items, while nurses emphasized communication problems, limited formal training, and system-level constraints. A cross-segment view prevents researchers from treating all barriers as identical.
This research is health-focused and non-diagnostic. The study describes reported experiences and public health implications, not individual medical diagnoses or treatment recommendations.
How Evidano Helps With AI Qualitative Analysis of Hajj Interviews
Problem: Researchers need to synthesize multilingual interview data
Evidano is an AI-powered qualitative data analysis platform that helps researchers analyze interview transcripts, open-ended survey responses, and documents. For studies involving Arabic and English interviews, Evidano can support transcription and translation workflows while preserving a custom dictionary for study-specific terms such as Hajj, Ihram, UV, and UPF.
Researchers can review translated material alongside the original evidence and use Evidano’s translation tools when multilingual analysis is part of the research design.
Problem: Manual thematic coding slows down synthesis
The Hajj study identified five themes through a structured thematic analysis process. Evidano can help researchers organize interview transcripts into thematic and hierarchical code structures, then inspect codes, subcodes, and supporting passages before final interpretation.
AI-generated themes should remain subject to researcher review, especially when analysis involves religious meaning, cultural context, sensitive health topics, or translated quotations.
Problem: Segment differences are difficult to compare
The 2026 study compared pilgrims with nurses and found differences in how each group described barriers. Evidano supports cross-segment analysis, allowing researchers to compare themes across roles, demographics, locations, or other study-defined groups.
Researchers can use Evidano’s AI chat over documents and analyses to ask focused questions such as which barriers appear in both groups, which recommendations are unique to nurses, and where participant accounts diverge.
Problem: Findings need an auditable evidence trail
Qualitative health research requires a clear connection between claims, codes, quotations, and source transcripts. Evidano supports document-level analysis and visualizations such as code hierarchies, word clouds, and co-occurrence networks, helping teams inspect patterns before reporting them.
Evidano encrypts data and does not use customer data to train third-party models. Researchers can review Evidano’s data security information when assessing tools for sensitive interview projects.
FAQ: Hajj Sun Protection Study and AI Qualitative Analysis
What did the Hajj sun protection study find?
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The 2026 PLoS One study found five major themes: the physical and emotional impact of sun exposure, limited awareness, cultural influences, practical barriers, and recommendations for improvement.
The study reported that participants often understood sun exposure primarily as a heat problem and had limited familiarity with UV, UPF, and the UV Index.
How many people participated in the Hajj sun protection study?
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The study included 29 participants: 16 Saudi pilgrims and 13 registered nurses.
The researchers interviewed participants between June 20 and July 11, 2025, after the 2025 Hajj season.
What qualitative method did the Hajj study use?
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The study used retrospective semi-structured interviews and inductive thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke’s six-phase approach.
The researchers supported trustworthiness through member checking, investigator triangulation, peer debriefing, audit trails, and a shared codebook.
What is AI-enabled qualitative research?
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AI-enabled qualitative research uses artificial intelligence to assist with tasks such as transcription, translation, coding, thematic synthesis, segment comparison, and evidence retrieval while researchers retain interpretive responsibility.
A platform such as Evidano can help researchers move from interview documents to organized themes and cross-segment findings, but human review remains essential for context-sensitive topics.
Can AI replace researchers in thematic analysis?
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AI can accelerate parts of thematic analysis, but AI should not replace researchers’ methodological judgment, reflexivity, cultural interpretation, or responsibility for validating findings.
The Hajj study’s attention to spiritual framing, translation, participant differences, and methodological limitations illustrates why qualitative interpretation requires more than automated pattern detection.
Conclusion and Next Steps for Hajj Sun Protection Research
The November 11, 2026 PLoS One study shows how qualitative interviews can uncover the reasons behind incomplete sun protection behavior during Hajj. The study’s 29 participants described knowledge gaps, cultural interpretations, communication barriers, affordability concerns, and product design challenges that would be difficult to understand through frequency counts alone.
AI-enabled qualitative analysis can help public health and UX research teams process transcripts faster, compare participant segments, preserve quotations, and connect recommendations to evidence. Researchers should use AI to support analysis, not to bypass contextual review or methodological transparency.
Evidano helps teams analyze interviews, documents, and open-ended responses with thematic, content, frequency, and cross-segment analysis. Try Evidano for free to turn qualitative data into structured, reviewable insight.
Topics
- Hajj sun protection study
- qualitative Hajj research
- AI qualitative analysis
- UV protection awareness
- thematic analysis of interviews
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