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Reference Values for the Six Minute Walk Test in Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Qaasim Mian1, Dax G Rumsey1,2, Olaf Verschuren3
1Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Insights
Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) have lower six-minute walk test (6MWT) distances compared to healthy peers. Height, weight, and age predict 6MWT distance in JIA patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rheumatology
- Exercise Physiology
- Clinical Assessment
Background:
- Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) impacts children's physical function.
- The six-minute walk test (6MWT) is a key measure of functional capacity.
- Establishing reference values for 6MWT in JIA is crucial for monitoring disease impact.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish six-minute walk test (6MWT) reference values for children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA).
- To identify predictors of 6MWT distance in children with JIA.
- To compare 6MWT performance in JIA patients against healthy children.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of clinical data from 120 children with JIA.
- Inclusion of 272 six-minute walk test (6MWT) records.
- Linear mixed effects modeling to identify predictive variables for 6MWT distance.
Main Results:
- Height, weight, and age significantly predicted 6MWT distance (R² = 0.62).
- Children with JIA demonstrated significantly lower 6MWT distances than healthy children (p < 0.001).
- Mean 6MWT distances for JIA patients were 84% and 78% of predicted values for healthy children.
Conclusions:
- The study provides reference values and a predictive model for 6MWT in children with JIA.
- These findings aid in assessing exercise capacity and functional limitations in pediatric arthritis.
- The established model can assist clinicians in evaluating disease impact on physical function.
Aims:
To (1) describe six-minute walk test (6MWT) reference values for children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) and (2) explore predictors of 6MWT distance. A secondary objective was to determine how 6MWT distances of children with JIA compare to those of children without JIA reported in the literature.
Methods:
Demographic, clinical, height, weight and 6MWT data were extracted from clinical records of 120 children with JIA (70.8% female, 12.4 ± 3.2 years) who attended a follow-up rheumatology clinic. A total of 272 6MWTs were included in the analyses. Linear mixed effects modeling was used to determine the relationship between predictive variables and 6MWT distance. 6MWT distances were compared to predicted values using published equations for estimating 6MWT distances in children without JIA.
Results:
Height, weight, and age were predictive of 6MWT distance (R2 = 0.62). Mean 6MWT distances for children with JIA were lower than those reported for children without JIA (p < 0.001). Mean 6MWT distance was 84% and 78% of predicted values for children without JIA.
Conclusion:
The reference values and associated predictive model have application for assessing exercise capacity in children with JIA.
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