Sun Protection During Hajj: Qualitative Research

According to the PLOS One study on sun protection during Hajj, pilgrims and nurses recognized the burden of intense sun exposure but often understood it mainly as a heat problem rather than a separate UV-related health risk. The study found that education, affordability, product access, language, cultural beliefs, and clothing requirements shaped sun-protection behavior.

• The PLOS One researchers interviewed 29 people after the 2025 Hajj season, including 16 Saudi pilgrims and 13 registered nurses.
• The interviews took place by Zoom from June 20 to July 11, 2025, within approximately one month of Hajj.
• The researchers identified five themes: physical and emotional effects, knowledge gaps, cultural influences, barriers, and recommendations.
• Participants often knew that shade and hydration mattered, but the study found limited understanding of UPF-rated clothing, UV-protective umbrellas, and the UV Index.
• The researchers concluded in November 2026 that multilingual pre-Hajj education, affordable protective products, and culturally appropriate communication should be prioritized.

The 2026 PLOS One study found that participants described intense sun exposure primarily through symptoms associated with heat, including exhaustion, dizziness, dehydration, and fainting. The researchers emphasized that heat-related illness and UV-related harm are distinct risks that require different preventive actions.

The study used retrospective, semi-structured interviews with 16 Saudi pilgrims and 13 registered nurses who had worked in hospitals in Makkah and Madinah during Hajj. The research team analyzed the transcripts using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis approach and assessed saturation separately for pilgrims and nurses.

The researchers reported five major themes. Participants discussed the physical and emotional impact of exposure, limited awareness of UV and UPF concepts, cultural and religious influences, practical barriers, and recommendations for improving sun safety.

One participant told the researchers, “Everyone knows the sun is harmful, but I don’t think we understand how exactly.” Another nurse said, “Honestly, I have no knowledge about UV-protection products.” These quotations show why qualitative interviews can reveal knowledge gaps that a simple usage survey might not explain.

The study also identified a difference between intended and effective protection. Some participants assumed that any umbrella or covering garment offered equivalent UV protection, while the researchers noted that protection varies according to fabric and product design.

The study has important limits. The sample included Saudi pilgrims from one Hajj season, and the interviews captured recalled experiences rather than directly observed behavior. The authors therefore presented the findings as context-specific qualitative evidence, not as statistically generalizable estimates for the entire international Hajj population.

Public health teams should treat heat prevention and UV prevention as related but separate communication tasks, according to the 2026 PLOS One study. Hydration, rest, and cooling address heat-related illness, while sunscreen and UPF-rated clothing or umbrellas address UV exposure; shade can support both forms of protection.

The study indicates that pre-travel education should explain practical concepts rather than rely on general warnings. Participants reported hearing messages such as avoiding the sun and drinking water, but they often lacked detailed knowledge about UPF ratings, UV-protective fabrics, and the UV Index.

The study also shows why segmentation matters. Pilgrims emphasized cost, comfort, availability, and forgetting protective items, while nurses emphasized language differences, limited training, and the difficulty of communicating with a multinational population. An analysis that combines both groups without preserving these differences could hide actionable findings.

Qualitative research teams can use AI to accelerate transcript organization, code comparison, translation review, and cross-segment analysis. Human researchers must still verify interpretations, protect participant confidentiality, account for translation and recall limitations, and distinguish participant quotations from analyst conclusions.

For health research, AI-generated findings should remain non-diagnostic and research-focused. AI can help identify patterns in participant accounts, but clinical or policy decisions require qualified human review and appropriate ethical oversight.

The 2026 PLOS One study shows how qualitative interviews can uncover the difference between recognizing sun exposure as uncomfortable and understanding the specific actions needed to reduce heat and UV risks. The study’s 29 participants described knowledge gaps, cultural influences, communication problems, cost concerns, and practical barriers that can inform better Hajj health interventions. AI-enabled qualitative research can help teams process these complex accounts faster while preserving subgroup differences and linking conclusions to participant evidence. Try Evidano for free to analyze interviews, documents, and open-ended responses with AI-supported qualitative workflows.