Prevalence and Risk Factors of Musculoskeletal Pain Among Kuwaiti Pilgrims During Hajj 2024

TL;DR

This study finds that about a quarter of Kuwaiti pilgrims experience musculoskeletal pain during Hajj, with risk factors including being female, poor sleep, and smoking.

Contribution

The study is the first to investigate musculoskeletal pain prevalence and risk factors specifically among Kuwaiti Hajj pilgrims.

Findings

24% of Kuwaiti pilgrims reported musculoskeletal pain during Hajj 2024.

Female gender, short sleep duration, and smoking were significantly associated with increased musculoskeletal pain.

Pilgrims without hypertension were less likely to report musculoskeletal pain.

Abstract

Background: Musculoskeletal pain (MSP) is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide and is frequently reported during the Muslim Hajj Pilgrimage; however, its prevalence and associated risk factors among Kuwaiti pilgrims have not been studied thus far. Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study of Kuwaiti pilgrims conducted during the year 2024. Pilgrims were contacted by phone before and after Hajj to answer a survey regarding MSP during their pilgrimage. Risk ratios were computed using binomial generalised linear models with a log link. Results: A total of 557 participants (Mean BMI 28.0 ± 8.0 kg/m2), comprising 340 women (61%) and 217 men (39%), participated in the study. Most were between 33 and 45 years of age (n = 173, 31%), with 24% of the sample (n = 136) reporting MSP. Our regression analysis revealed that female gender (aRR 1.49, 95% CI 1.08–2.06), short sleep duration (<6 h; aRR 1.37, 95% CI 1.02–1.84), and smoking (aRR 0.66, 95% CI 0.46–0.95) were significantly associated with MSP, while participants who did not report hypertension were also less likely to report MSP (aRR 0.64, 95% CI 0.46–0.89). Conclusions: This study, the first to focus on Kuwaiti pilgrims in this regard, showed that their reported prevalence of MSP during Hajj was lower than reported previously in studies of other nationalities. Several factors that increased the risk of MSP included smoking, hypertension, poor sleep, and female gender. The results of this study emphasise the necessity of both conducting a screening programme before Hajj and raising awareness of the factors that increase the prevalence of MSP, subsequently reducing the readiness of pilgrims.

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