Prevalence of Tinea pedis in military personnel: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Bibliographic record
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Tinea pedis, commonly known as athlete's foot, is a fungal infection caused by dermatophytes, affecting the skin of the feet. It is prevalent in various populations, but military personnel are particularly vulnerable due to their unique environmental and behavioral factors. These include living in close quarters, exposure to humid conditions, and wearing tight, non-breathable footwear for prolonged periods. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to estimate the global prevalence of tinea pedis among military personnel and explore factors contributing to its high occurrence in this population. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in multiple databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, for studies published in English up to 21 March 2025. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess the quality of the included studies, evaluating aspects such as the selection of participants, comparability, and the assessment of exposure. The prevalence rates were pooled using a random-effects model, and heterogeneity among studies was evaluated. Studies employing various diagnostic methods, including microscopy and fungal culture, were analyzed to identify variations in prevalence estimates. A subgroup analysis was performed based on geographic regions to explore the influence of environmental factors on prevalence. RESULTS: A total of 25 studies, involving military personnel from different regions, were included in the analysis. The pooled prevalence of tinea pedis among military personnel was estimated at 17% (95% CI: 12-23%). Subgroup analysis revealed regional variations, with the highest prevalence observed in the Americas and Australia, where hot and humid climates are prevalent. The lowest prevalence was observed in European studies, which may be attributed to milder climates. Studies using both microscopy and fungal culture reported higher prevalence rates (20%) compared to those relying solely on microscopy (9%). CONCLUSION: Tinea pedis remains a significant health concern among military personnel, with a global prevalence of 17%. Military environments, characterized by high physical activity, shared living conditions, and poor foot hygiene practices, exacerbate the risk of fungal infections. Preventive strategies, including improved foot hygiene, better footwear design, and enhanced access to antifungal treatments, are essential to reduce the prevalence of tinea pedis in military settings.
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How this classification was reachedexpand
Full frame machine prediction
Teacher imitationNot calibrated prevalence, not ground truth. Human validation pending. The Gemma side is a direct model label for every work in the frame, read from the title-only record. The Codex side is a classifier learned from the 10,348 direct Codex labels and calibrated to design-weighted sample rates; fields without enough sample support carry no Codex call. Candidate is the union of the two sides; consensus is their intersection. These outputs are machine_predicted_unvalidated and are not human labels.
Distilled classifier scores by category (both heads)
| Category | Codex | Gemma |
|---|---|---|
| Metaresearch | 0.009 | 0.025 |
| Meta-epidemiology (narrow) | 0.002 | 0.001 |
| Meta-epidemiology (broad) | 0.018 | 0.033 |
| Bibliometrics | 0.008 | 0.008 |
| Science and technology studies | 0.001 | 0.001 |
| Scholarly communication | 0.003 | 0.002 |
| Open science | 0.002 | 0.001 |
| Research integrity | 0.002 | 0.001 |
| Insufficient payload (model declined to judge) | 0.004 | 0.000 |
Machine scores (provisional)
The two teacher heads of the student model, read on this work. A score orders the frame for review; it never asserts a category, and the validation status ships verbatim with every row.
Baseline scores from an immature model (maturity gate not passed, 7 training rounds). Scores rank; they never assert a category.
score_only:v0-immature-baseline · verbatim from the scoring run: score_only means the number may rank works, and no category label ships from itClassification
machine, unvalidatedMachine predicted; a candidate call from one source (direct Gemma or distilled Codex), not a consensus.
How this classification was reached, model by model and score by score, is at the end of the page under "How this classification was reached".