The 6-minute walk test: normal values for children of 4–11 years of age

Objective:The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is an established measure of exercise capacity in adults and children with chronic cardiac or respiratory disease. Despite its widespread use, there are no normal values for healthy children under 12 years of age. We aimed to provide normal values for children...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archives of disease in childhood 2008-06, Vol.93 (6), p.464-468
Main Authors: Lammers, A E, Hislop, A A, Flynn, Y, Haworth, S G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
Biological and medical sciences
Body Composition
Body Composition - physiology
Body mass index
Child
Child health
Child, Preschool
Children
Children & youth
Chronic illnesses
Cystic fibrosis
Demographic aspects
Disease
Elementary Education
Elementary Schools
Ethnicity
Exercise
Exercise Test - methods
Exercise Test - standards
Exercise tests
FDA approval
Female
General aspects
Health aspects
Heart failure
Heart rate
Humans
Hypertension
Male
Medical sciences
Metabolism
Miscellaneous
Mortality
Oxygen Consumption - physiology
Patients
Physical Education
Physical Fitness - physiology
Predictive Value of Tests
Prevention and actions
Prospective Studies
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Pulmonary hypertension
Reference values (Medicine)
Respiration
Respiratory diseases
Schools
Scientific Concepts
Spirometry - methods
Statistical Analysis
Treatment Outcome
Walking - physiology
White people
Whites
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Summary:Objective:The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is an established measure of exercise capacity in adults and children with chronic cardiac or respiratory disease. Despite its widespread use, there are no normal values for healthy children under 12 years of age. We aimed to provide normal values for children between 4 and 11 years.Methods:Healthy children were recruited prospectively from two UK primary schools and also children visiting Great Ormond Street Hospital. 328 children (54% male) aged 4 to 11 years were included in the study. Main outcome measures were the distance walked in 6 minutes, and oxygen saturation and heart rate during the 6 minutes and during a 3-minute recovery period.Results:Mean oxygen saturation at baseline and during the 6MWT was 97–99%. Heart rate increased from 102±19 bpm at baseline to a maximum of 136±12 bpm. Overall, the mean distance walked in 6 minutes was 470±59 m. Distance walked correlated with age (r = 0.64, p
ISSN:0003-9888
1468-2044
DOI:10.1136/adc.2007.123653