Test-retest reliability and correlates of the 6-min walk test in people with alcohol use disorders

People with alcohol use disorders (AUD) are at a higher risk for physical co-morbidities. Consequently, their daily life functioning needs to be reliably assessed and followed-up. We examined the reliability of the 6-min walk test (6MWT) in a cohort of inpatients with AUD. Secondary aims were to assess minimal detectable changes (MDC₉₅ ), practice effects and associations of the 6MWT with demographical and clinical variables.

Two 6MWTs were administered within 3 days to 45 (32♂) inpatients with a DSM-5 diagnosis of AUD. Physical complaints before and after the 6MWT were recorded. Patients performed a standing broad jump to assess muscle strength and completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test.

Patients walked 636.3 ± 82.3 meters and 638.1 ± 77.6 meters at the first and second test. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.94 (95% confidence interval 0.90-0.97). The MDC₉₅ was 15 meters for men and 9 meters for women. No practice effect was detected. The presence of feet or ankle problems or pain before the test, dyspnea after the test, impaired muscle strength and lower PANAS positive affect scores were independently related to shorter 6MWT distance accounting for 67.3% of the variance.

The 6MWT is a reliable tool for evaluating the functional exercise capacity in inpatients with AUD. Health care professionals should consider musculoskeletal and respiratory symptoms when interpreting fitness test outcomes in this vulnerable population.