Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 2, 2026
Home-Based Prescribed Pulmonary Exercise in Patients with Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Published on: August 24, 2019
Breaking barriers: novel reference equations for the six-minute walk distance and work in obese Chinese adults
He Zou1, Xiaoshu Chen1, Jia Zhang2
1Department of Cardiology, Wenzhou Third Clinical Institute Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou People's Hospital, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Background:
The six-minute walk test (6MWT) is a key tool for assessing fitness in obese individuals, but existing reference equations for the six-minute walk distance (6MWD) are limited and overlook the six-minute walk work (6MWW), in turn limiting the clinical applicability of the test. This study aims to establish new 6MWD and 6MWW equations to improve our understanding of functional capacity in obese Chinese adults.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted at Wenzhou People's Hospital from July 2021 to June 2023. Obese Chinese adults (BMI > 30 kg/m²), aged 18-69 years, completed the 6MWT following the ATS/ERS guidelines. Stepwise multiple regression was used to create sex-specific reference equations for the 6MWD and 6MWW.
Results:
A total of 309 obese Chinese adults participated in this study, achieving a mean 6MWD of 550.7 ± 45.85 m and a mean 6MWW of 46149.9 ± 6403.58 kg·m. Sex-specific equations for the 6MWD and 6MWW explained a significant portion of the variance in the values (34-61%).
Conclusion:
The proposed reference equations for the 6MWD and 6MWW increase the accuracy and applicability of functional capacity assessment tests, outperforming existing reference equations. The inclusion of the 6MWW provides a relatively novel metric that integrates metabolic workload and mechanical efficiency, offering unique insights into the functional performance of obese individuals and allowing tailored health interventions.
