Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31325954›Full record

Observational studyBMC musculoskeletal disorders2019

Plantar heel pain in middle-aged and older adults: population prevalence, associations with health status and lifestyle factors, and frequency of healthcare use.

Martin J Thomas, Rebecca Whittle, Hylton B Menz, Trishna Rathod-Mistry, Michelle Marshall, Edward Roddy

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06754982 (Temporal Differences in Pain, Muscle Stiffness, and Function in Subjects With Plantar Fasciitis After Myofascial Release Therapy), which is not on this map. Cited by 52 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
52citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
10.7field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06754982 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Temporal Differences in Pain, Muscle Stiffness, and Function in Subjects With Plantar Fasciitis After Myofascial Release Therapy

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversidad Católica del MauleRan2025 to 2027Enrolled50ConditionsPlantar Fasciitis of Both FeetArmsMyofascial release
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

52 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 110 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Martin J ThomasPrimary Care Centre Versus Arthritis, Research Institute for Primary Care and Health Sciences, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK. m.thomas@keele.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4951-9925
Rebecca WhittlePrimary Care Centre Versus Arthritis, Research Institute for Primary Care and Health Sciences, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK.
Hylton B MenzPrimary Care Centre Versus Arthritis, Research Institute for Primary Care and Health Sciences, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK.
Trishna Rathod-MistryPrimary Care Centre Versus Arthritis, Research Institute for Primary Care and Health Sciences, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK.
Michelle MarshallPrimary Care Centre Versus Arthritis, Research Institute for Primary Care and Health Sciences, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK.
Edward RoddyPrimary Care Centre Versus Arthritis, Research Institute for Primary Care and Health Sciences, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK.
Arthritis UK · GBMidlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust · GBLa Trobe University · AU

Funding

Arthritis Research UK 18174Department of Health ICA-CL-2016-02-014National Health and Medical Research Council ID: 1135995Research Trainees Coordinating Centre ICA-CL-2016-02-014Versus Arthritis 18174
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe objectives of this study were to estimate the population prevalence and distribution of plantar heel pain in mid-to-older age groups, examine associations with selected health status and lifestyle factors, and report the frequency of healthcare use.

methodsAdults aged ≥50 years registered with four general practices were mailed a health survey (n = 5109 responders). Plantar heel pain in the last month was defined by self-reported shading on a foot manikin, and was defined as disabling if at least one of the function items of the Manchester Foot Pain and Disability Index were also reported. Population prevalence estimates and associations between plantar heel pain and demographic characteristics, health status measures and lifestyle factors were estimated using multiple imputation and weighted logistic regression. Healthcare professional consultation was summarised as the 12-month period prevalence of foot pain-related consultation.

resultsThe population prevalence of plantar heel pain was 9.6% (95% CI: 8.8, 10.5) and 7.9% (7.1, 8.7) for disabling plantar heel pain. Occurrence was slightly higher in females, comparable across age-groups, and significantly higher in those with intermediate/routine and manual occupations. Plantar heel pain was associated with physical and mental impairment, more anxiety and depression, being overweight, a low previous use of high-heeled footwear, and lower levels of physical activity and participation. The 12-month period prevalence of foot pain-related consultation with a general practitioner, physiotherapist or podiatrist/chiropodist was 43.0, 15.1 and 32.8%, respectively.

conclusionsPlantar heel pain is a common, disabling symptom among adults aged 50 years and over. Observed patterns of association indicate that in addition to focused foot-specific management, primary care interventions should also target more general physical and psychological factors that could potentially act as barriers to treatment adherence and recovery.

Indexed as

HeelAgedAge FactorsFemaleHealth StatusHealth SurveysHumansLife StyleMaleMiddle AgedMusculoskeletal PainPatient CompliancePrevalenceProspective StudiesSocioeconomic FactorsUnited KingdomEpidemiologyPlantar heel painPrevalence

Identifiers

PMID31325954
PMCPMC6642587
OpenAlexW2963745299

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.