Risk Factors of Foot Blisters Formation among Arbaeen Pilgrims: An Observational Study

Arbaeen is an annual religious procession in Iraq in which millions of people participate by walking 80 kilometers from the city of Najaf to the city of Karbala. Foot blisters are a common problem for hikers, runners, and endurance athletes, and this study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for foot blisters among Arbaeen pilgrims. In this cross-sectional study, 6,972 participants were included, and 4,399 were selected for evaluation during the 2017 Arbaeen ceremony. Demographic data such as age, sex, type of foot covering, presence of underlying diseases, educational level, number and frequency of Arbaeen pilgrimages, traveled distance, and locations of foot blisters were captured. The type of foot covering and the distance walked were significantly associated with the number of foot blisters (P-value<0.05). However, no association was found between underlying diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and thyroid dysfunction and the risk of foot blisters (P-value>0.05). Women were found to be at a higher risk of developing foot blisters (P-value<0.05). The study concluded that proper footwear and regular foot care are essential to prevent foot blisters during the Arbaeen pilgrimage.