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Reference values for the 6-min walk test in healthy children aged 6-12 years
Camila Varella Priesnitz1, Geneviève Horak Rodrigues, Carolina da Silva Stumpf
1Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Objective:
To establish reference values for the 6-min walk test in healthy children and adolescents aged 6-12 years.
Methods:
This cross-sectional, prospective study selected healthy children and adolescents aged 6-12 years, at three elementary schools in Porto Alegre. The anthropometric data of all the individuals were evaluated and two 6-min walk tests were performed. Based on this, a reference equation was generated, and the test reproducibility was evaluated.
Results:
One hundred eighty-eight children (92 boys) performed the test. Pearson correlation showed that age (r = 0.51), height (r = 0.49), difference in heart rate before and after the test (dif. HR) (r = 0.30), and weight (r = 0.29) were significantly correlated with the distance covered in 6 min. The best multiple regression model included these four variables resulting in the following equation: 145.343 + [11.78 x age (years)] + [292.22 x height (m)] + [0.611 x dif. HR (bpm)] - [2.684 x body weight (kg)]. The intraclass correlation coefficient confirmed the reproducibility among tests.
Conclusion:
The reference equation for the 6-min walk test was generated and the distance covered is influenced by age, height, difference in heart rate before and after the test, and body weight.
