PERFORMANCE ON A SIX-MINUTE WALK TEST AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS IN HEALTHY YOUNG ADULTS

Abstract

Introduction: The six minute walk test (6MWT) is a simple and low cost field test that evaluates funcional capacity. Objectives: To evaluate the distance walked in the SWT in healthy Young adults according to gender and compare to predicted values to the Brazilian population , as well as to verify if demographic, antropometric factors and physical activity levels are related to SWT performance. Methods: An observational, cross sectional study conducted with healthy young adults. Two 6MWT practices were conducted in the same day. Soares and Pereira, as well as  Iwama reference norms were used to calculate predicted values. Results: One hundred and seix subjects were included. Mean distance walked were  677.4 + 47.9 m and 594.3 + 70.0 m, respectively for men and women (p < 0.0001). Both predicted values were significantly different from distance walked by subjects.  The distance walked in 6MWT was associated to gender, height, inferior limbs lenght, weight, BMI and activity level, but not with age.   Conclusions: 6MWT was proven to be clinically applicable not only to  functional evaluation but for  measuring results from a therapeutic interventions in diferente subsets in healthy or  subjects with comorbidities.