Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) of Arbaeen Pilgrims and Factors Affecting Personal Hygiene

INTRODUCTION: The Arbaeen pilgrimage is a significant religious event with millions of participants, making personal hygiene compliance a critical public health concern. This study aimed to identify factors influencing personal hygiene observance among Arbaeen pilgrims in Karbala. METHODS: In this applied descriptive research, due to the unavailability of accurate population statistics, a total of ۳۵۷ Arbaeen pilgrims in ۲۰۲۲ were studied. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS-۲۴ software. (CVR=۰.۹۲۱) (α= ۰.۸۴) FINDINGS: According to the findings, the key challenges faced by pilgrims included excessive fatigue, foot injuries, heatstroke and sweating, and inadequate access to essential health, medical, and welfare facilities. Environmental factors such as dust, wind, extreme heat, presence of insects/animals, crowding, noise, and cigarette smoke were also identified as important contextual factors affecting health. In addition, pilgrims showed moderate attitudes toward personal hygiene, but their health knowledge and behavior were at a moderate level. CONCLUSION: According to this study, more efforts are needed to improve the personal health of Arbaeen pilgrims, including increasing knowledge among pilgrims and significantly improving access to health, medical, and welfare facilities. Developing effective strategies to manage environmental factors is crucial, as the interrelationship between personal health, environmental health, and public health cannot be ignored in this massive gathering. Addressing these multifaceted factors can lead to improved health behaviors among pilgrims.

کلیدواژه ها:

Personal hygiene ، Arbaeen pilgrims ، Environmental factors ، Health services ، hygiene behavior.