Reliability of the six-minute walk test in people with fibromyalgia

To determine the test-retest reliability of the 6-minute walk test in people with fibromyalgia.

Twenty-six subjects (27-59 years of age) performed 3 walk tests over consecutive days before and after a 4-week treatment program. Reliability was determined using a one-way repeated measures analysis of variance and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC2,1).

Reliability of the 6-minute walk test was excellent both at program intake (ICC2,1 = 0.91) and program completion (ICC2,1 = 0.98). On program intake, significant differences (P < 0.01) were found between test 1 (478 +/- 61 m) and test 2 (492 +/- 57 m), and between test 1 and test 3 (495 +/- 60 m). On program completion, there were no significant differences across the 3 replicate tests (507 m, 505 m, and 509 m).

The 6-minute walk test is a reliable measure in people with fibromyalgia. In this study, two trials were required to achieve a stable walk performance before a treatment program. This learning effect was not present following the intervention.