Developing normative values and predictive models for the 6-minute walk test across diverse adolescent developmental...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiology
• Exercise Physiology
• Public Health

Background:

• The six-minute walking test (6MWT) is a key field measure for functional capacity.
• Establishing normative data for 6MWD and peak heart rate (PHR) is essential for pediatric populations.
• Previous reference data for Tunisian children and adolescents is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish smoothed reference percentile curves for 6MWD and PHR in Tunisian children and adolescents aged 10-18 years.
• To develop a predictive equation for estimating 6MWD based on age and gender.
• To provide normative data for assessing cardiovascular functional capacity in this demographic.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 1501 Tunisian children and adolescents (706 boys, 795 girls).
• Utilized the Lambda (L), Mu (S), and Sigma (S) methods (LMS method) to construct percentile curves.
• Employed multivariate linear regression to derive prediction equations for 6MWD.

Main Results:

• Smoothed percentile curves for 6MWD and PHR were generated for both genders across the age range.
• 6MWD showed strong positive correlations with age in both boys and girls (p < 0.001).
• Prediction equations for 6MWD were established: Boys: 6MWD = 66.181 + 38.142 × Age (R²=0.372); Girls: 6MWD = 105.535 + 28.390 × Age (R²=0.312).

Conclusions:

• The study successfully established reference curves and predictive equations for 6MWD and PHR in Tunisian youth.
• These findings provide valuable tools for clinicians and researchers to identify and monitor cardiovascular functional deficits.
• The normative data supports better interpretation of functional capacity assessments in pediatric populations.