Prevalence of Heel Pain Among Retired Soldiers After Retirement: A Cross-Sectional Study
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Background: Heel pain is a common musculoskeletal complaint that may affect walking, prolonged standing, and daily functional activities. Soldiers are exposed to prolonged marching, load carriage, repetitive training, and long-standing duties during service, but limited evidence is available regarding heel pain after retirement. Objective: To determine the prevalence of heel pain and describe foot-related functional status among retired soldiers. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted over six months among retired soldiers aged above 35 years with at least 10 years of military service. A total of 152 participants were recruited through non-probability convenience sampling. Data were collected using an online questionnaire, and foot-related functional status was assessed using the Foot Function Index. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 25. Categorical variables were reported as frequencies and percentages, while continuous variables were summarized as mean ± standard deviation. Results: Most participants were aged 51–60 years (72.4%) and male (98.7%). The mean military service duration was 22.88 ± 4.69 years, and the mean duration since retirement was 12.14 ± 6.06 years. Heel pain was reported by 18 participants, giving a prevalence of 11.8%. The mean Foot Function Index score was 4.49 ± 11.57. Conclusion: Heel pain affected approximately one in nine retired soldiers. Although overall functional limitation was low in the total sample, heel pain remains a clinically relevant post-service musculoskeletal complaint requiring preventive screening and rehabilitation attention
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