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Reference values on the 6-minute walk test for children living in the United States
1Program in Physical Therapy, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA. sek44@columbia.edu
Insights
Reference values for the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) in US children aged 7-11 are established. Findings indicate that international 6MWT data may not be directly applicable to this population.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric physiology
- Clinical exercise testing
Background:
- The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is a common functional assessment.
- Establishing normative data is crucial for interpreting results in pediatric populations.
- Previous reference values may not be generalizable across different geographic regions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine reference values for the 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) in healthy US children aged 7 to 11 years.
- To examine the relationship between 6MWD and age, sex, and anthropometric variables in this cohort.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 100 healthy children (57 female, 43 male) aged 7-11 years participated.
- Measurements included height, weight, body mass index, leg length, and 6MWD.
- Data analysis focused on establishing reference values and correlations.
Main Results:
- The mean 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) was 518.50 ± 73.56 meters.
- These values were generally lower than those reported in international studies, except for England.
- No significant associations were found between 6MWD and age, sex, or leg length, but a correlation with body mass index was observed in males.
Conclusions:
- The established 6MWD reference values are specific to healthy children in the United States.
- International 6MWT data should be used with caution when assessing US children.
- Further research may be needed to refine pediatric reference values across diverse populations.
Purpose:
: The purpose of this study was to investigate reference values for the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and the relationship between 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) and age, sex, and anthropometric variables in children who are healthy, aged 7 to 11 years and living in the United States.
Methods:
: The sample included 100 children, 57 female, 43 male, mean age 9.66 ± 1.08 years. Measures included height, weight, body mass index, leg length, and 6MWD.
Results:
: Mean 6MWD was 518.50 ± 73.56 m. Values were lower than those reported for children living in other countries with the exception of England. There were no significant associations between the 6MWD and other variables with the exception of body mass index in males.
Conclusion:
: Our findings suggest 6MWT values for children living in other countries may not be directly applicable to children living in the United States.
