Safaya Amada, Dina Nur Anggraini Ningrum, Lili Junaidi, Usman Iqbal

Risk Factors Of Mortality Among Hajj Pilgrims In SOC 1444 H Group

Introduction

Risk factors of mortality among hajj pilgrims in soc 1444 h group. Investigate risk factors for mortality among Hajj pilgrims in the SOC 1444 H group. Identifies cardiomegaly, disease history, and obesity as significant factors to inform health monitoring.

Abstract

Hajj is an annual international ritual because it is carried out every year and involves Muslims from various parts of the world. Based on data from Siskohatkes, in 2022 there was a decrease in the number of pilgrims who died, which is 101 pilgrims, while in 2023 there was 8 times increase to 856 pilgrims who died. In 2022, the number of pilgrims with SOC embarkation who died was 19 pilgrims, while there was a significant increase in the number of deaths of pilgrims by approximately 6 times with the number of 129 pilgrims who died. The purpose of this study was to determine the risk factors for death of pilgrims for SOC group. This study is an observational quantitative study with a nested case control research design. This research was conducted in Central Java Province and Yogyakarta Special Region Province during the Hajj period 1444 H (2023). The result is that cardiomegaly (p-value:0,009; OR: 2.058; 95% Cl: 1.195-3.543), disease history (p-value<0.001; OR: 0.242; 95% Cl: 0.155-0.377), overweight and/or obesity (p-value<0.001; OR: 0.460; 95% Cl: 0.302-0.700) have a significant impact on the mortality of the Hajj pilgrims. It is hoped that Semarang Port Health Office can carry out monitoring and give more attention towards pilgrims who have cardiomegaly.

Review

This study addresses a critically important and timely issue: the significant increase in mortality among Hajj pilgrims, specifically focusing on the SOC 1444 H group. The observed eight-fold increase in deaths nationally and six-fold increase for the SOC embarkation group between 2022 and 2023 underscores the urgency and relevance of identifying underlying risk factors. The use of an observational quantitative study with a nested case-control design is appropriate for investigating associations in such a population. The authors identify cardiomegaly, disease history, and overweight/obesity as having a significant impact, providing specific statistical measures (p-values, ORs, and 95% CIs) to support their claims. The recommendation for targeted monitoring by the Semarang Port Health Office for pilgrims with cardiomegaly is a direct and actionable insight derived from the findings. However, the interpretation of some key findings in the abstract presents significant challenges and requires clarification. While cardiomegaly shows a plausible Odds Ratio (OR: 2.058), the ORs reported for "disease history" (OR: 0.242) and "overweight and/or obesity" (OR: 0.460) are both less than 1.0. If these variables are indeed intended to represent risk factors, an OR less than 1.0 suggests a protective effect, which is counter-intuitive and contradicts established medical understanding, particularly for conditions like obesity. This raises serious questions about how these variables were defined, coded, or interpreted, or if there is a reporting error in the abstract. For instance, "disease history" might be protective if it refers to *well-managed* pre-existing conditions, or if the absence of a history was somehow coded as the risk. Similarly, the notion that overweight/obesity is protective against mortality is highly implausible without substantial contextual explanation. In conclusion, while the study tackles a vital public health concern with a sound methodology, the abstract's presentation of the Odds Ratios for "disease history" and "overweight and/or obesity" is highly perplexing and undermines the immediate credibility of these specific findings as *risk* factors. It is imperative that the authors clarify these contradictory results in the full paper, detailing the precise definitions and coding of these variables, or address any potential misinterpretation or error. Resolving this ambiguity is crucial for the study's validity and for generating reliable recommendations for pilgrim health management and pre-Hajj screening strategies, which could otherwise be impactful given the alarming mortality trends.

Full Text

Comments

You need to be logged in to post a comment.