Evaluation of Cooper 12-minute walk/run test as a marker of cardiorespiratory fitness in young urban children with persistent asthma.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate Cooper 12-minute run/walk test (CT12) as a one-time estimate of cardiorespiratory fitness and marker of fitness change compared with treadmill fitness testing in young children with persistent asthma.


METHODS
A cohort of urban children with asthma participated in the asthma and exercise program and a subset completed pre- and postintervention fitness testing.


METHODS
Treadmill fitness testing was conducted by an exercise physiologist in the fitness laboratory at an academic children's hospital. CT12 was conducted in a college recreation center gymnasium.


METHODS
Forty-five urban children with persistent asthma aged 7 to 14 years participated in exercise interventions. A subset of 19 children completed pre- and postintervention exercise testing.


METHODS
Participants completed a 9-week exercise program where they participated in either swimming or golf 3 days a week for 1 hour. A subset of participants completed fitness testing by 2 methods before and after program completion.


METHODS
CT12 results (meters), maximal oxygen consumption ((.)Vo2max) (mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)), and treadmill exercise time (minutes).


RESULTS
CT12 and maximal oxygen consumption were moderately correlated (preintervention: 0.55, P = 0.003; postintervention: 0.48, P = 0.04) as one-time measures of fitness. Correlations of the tests as markers of change over time were poor and nonsignificant.


CONCLUSIONS
In children with asthma, CT12 is a reasonable one-time estimate of fitness but a poor marker of fitness change over time.
Weisgerber
Michael
M
Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, MACC Fund Research Building, Milwaukee,WI 53226, USA. mweisger@mcw.edu
Danduran
Michael
M
Meurer
John
J
Hartmann
Kathryn
K
Berger
Stuart
S
Flores
Glenn
G
D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012420:Running; D014481:United States; D014505:Urban Population; D016138:Walking; D014922:Wisconsin