AI Qualitative Analysis of Hajj Sun Protection

According to the Sun protection awareness and ultraviolet protection factor product use among pilgrims and nurses during Hajj: A qualitative post-Hajj interview study, qualitative interviews conducted after the 2025 Hajj found that participants recognized sun exposure as a serious concern but understood it mainly through heat-related symptoms rather than UV-specific risks. The study identified five themes: physical and emotional effects, awareness gaps, cultural influences, practical barriers, and recommendations.

• Qaladi and colleagues interviewed 29 people, including 16 Saudi pilgrims and 13 registered nurses, between June 20 and July 11, 2025.
• The PLOS One study identified five major themes through thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke’s six-phase approach.
• Participants reported limited familiarity with UPF-rated clothing, UV-protective umbrellas, and the UV Index, according to the 2026 Hajj interview study.
• The study found that cost, product availability, language differences, cultural clothing norms, discomfort, and forgetting protective items limited sun-protection behavior.
• Participants recommended multilingual education before Hajj, clearer distinction between heat and UV risks, and wider access to affordable protective products.

The November 11, 2026 PLOS One study found that Hajj pilgrims and nurses often described exhaustion, dizziness, dehydration, and fainting, but rarely raised UV-specific effects such as sunburn or eye irritation. The researchers therefore concluded that health communication should distinguish heat-related illness from UV-related harm because each risk requires different protective actions.

The study’s participants described limited knowledge of UPF labels and the UV Index. One nurse told the researchers, “Honestly, I have no knowledge about UV-protection products.” Another participant said, “I didn’t even know there are special fabrics for blocking UV rays.” These quotations show why qualitative analysis adds context that a simple awareness percentage may not capture.

According to Qaladi and colleagues, cultural and religious interpretations also shaped behavior. Some participants viewed enduring heat as part of the spiritual challenge of Hajj, while others said umbrella use had become more socially accepted. The study reported that participants generally supported sun protection but faced barriers when trying to apply it in crowded, physically demanding conditions.

The researchers used retrospective, semi-structured interviews conducted through Zoom approximately one month after the 2025 Hajj season. The study analyzed self-reported experiences rather than directly observed behavior, and the authors cautioned that the Saudi pilgrim sample from one Hajj season may not represent the wider international Hajj population.

Public health teams should analyze sun-protection behavior as a combination of knowledge, cultural meaning, access, communication, and product design rather than as a single awareness problem. The 2026 PLOS One study shows that participants could recognize discomfort and heat danger while remaining unfamiliar with the mechanisms and labels associated with UV protection.

Qualitative researchers should preserve differences between participant segments during analysis. According to Qaladi and colleagues, nurses emphasized systemic and communication barriers, while pilgrims more often emphasized cost, comfort, forgetting items, and availability. A cross-segment analysis can make these differences visible and prevent a single overall theme from hiding actionable distinctions.

Health communication teams should also analyze language and translation carefully. The study reported that all Saudi participants were interviewed in Arabic, while one non-Saudi nurse was interviewed in English; Arabic transcripts were translated into English and a second bilingual researcher audited a random 20% sample of translated transcripts. These procedures demonstrate why multilingual qualitative projects require traceable translation workflows.

Researchers should treat the study’s recommendations as hypotheses for intervention design rather than proven solutions. Qaladi and colleagues proposed pre-travel education, multilingual materials, accessible distribution points, and culturally appropriate protective clothing, but the study did not test the effectiveness of those interventions.

Medical and public health analysis should remain non-diagnostic and research-focused; interview findings can inform education and service design but cannot diagnose an individual participant’s health condition.

The 2026 PLOS One study demonstrates how qualitative analysis of sun protection can reveal the reasons behind a gap between recognizing environmental risk and adopting protective behavior. The interviews connected limited UV knowledge with cultural interpretations, communication barriers, product access, cost, and physical discomfort.

AI-assisted qualitative analysis can help public health and research teams move from raw interviews to defensible themes and segment-level insights more efficiently. Evidano supports this workflow through thematic analysis, translation, document chat, and evidence-oriented review while keeping researchers in control of interpretation.

Teams analyzing interviews, open-ended survey responses, or public health documents can try Evidano for free and turn qualitative evidence into clearer research decisions.