Abstract Hijabs, niqabs, and burqas are widely worn by Muslim women in hot climates, however, comparative studies on their thermo-physiological effects remains scarce. This study investigated the physiological and subjective responses to wearing a Hijab, niqab, and burqa in a hot-dry environment. Ten healthy Indonesian females (28.8 ± 3.0 y, 160.6 ± 4.6 cm, and 53.4 ± 4.4 kg) completed three trials (hijab, niqab, and burqa) during exercise at an air temperature of 36 °C and an air humidity of 30%RH with radiation on the ceiling (globe temperature at 70 °C, wet-bulb globe temperature at 36.5 °C). Rectal, auditory canal, mean skin temperature, total sweat rate, and heart rate did not differ significantly among the three headwear types. However, the maximum temperature at the back of the neck tended to be lower with the niqab than with the burqa, but the difference was not significant ( p = .053). The microclimate temperature inside the chest was significantly higher with the burqa than with the other two conditions ( p < .001). Remarkably, the microclimate temperature at the top of the head rose to maximum 71 ± 9, 72 ± 6, and 73 ± 8 °C for the hijab, niqab, and burqa, respectively, with no significant differences. Both the niqab and burqa increased breathing resistance and often caused facial discomfort due to fabric contact with the nose and eyes. While the niqab provided more neck ventilation than the hijab or burqa, both the niqab and burqa impose additional breathing burdens during exercise in hot environments.
Salsabila et al. (Tue,) studied this question.