Abstract
Background/aim The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is the most commonly used and well-established test to measure functional exercise capacity in research and clinical settings. Country-specific reference values are important to interpret the results of 6MWT. However, no reference values have been reported for healthy Turkish children aged between 6 and 12 years old. The aim of this study was to determine normal reference values for the 6MWT test of healthy Turkish children aged between 6 and 12 years old. Materials and methods Two hundred and sixty-two healthy children aged between 6 and 12 years old were included in this cross-sectional study. Measures included height, weight, body mass index (BMI), leg length, and 6MWT distance (6MWD). Results The mean 6MWD was 572.58 (SD = 117.72) m. There were significant correlations between 6MWD and age (r = 0.764, P < 0.001), height (r = 0.742, P < 0.001), weight (r = 0.605, P < 0.001), BMI (r = 0.234, P < 0.001), and lower extremity length (r = 0.708, P < 0.001). In the stepwise multiple linear regression model, age and height explained about 60% of the variability of the 6MWT distance for the total sample. Conclusion Reference values and prediction equation for the 6MWT in healthy Turkish children aged 6–12 years old have been reported for the first time in this study. Researchers and clinicians can use them to interpret the effectiveness of a treatment and/or to compare the results of disabled children with healthy ones.
Highlights
The current gold standard for testing of exercise capacity is a cardiopulmonary exercise test that measures maximum oxygen consumption [1]
All participants completed the entire 6-minute walk test (6MWT) according to the protocol and no data was excluded from the analysis
The 6MWT distance showed a gradual increase with age (Figure)
Summary
The current gold standard for testing of exercise capacity is a cardiopulmonary exercise test that measures maximum oxygen consumption [1]. It is the most accurate measure of exercise capacity, it can be used only in specialized laboratory-based settings because of its cost and need for a trained assessor and equipment [2]. Performing cardiopulmonary exercise tests is especially problematic for children because it requires a high degree of coordination and motivation [3]. To overcome these disadvantages, several submaximal tests have been developed as an alternative to measuring exercise capacity. The 6MWT is easy to administer, better tolerated, and more reflective of activities of daily living than the other walk tests” [4]
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