title: Reference values for the 6-min walk test in healthy children aged 6-12 years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish reference values for the 6-min walk test in healthy children and adolescents aged 6-12 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional, prospective study selected healthy children and adolescents aged 6-12 years, at three elementary schools in Porto Alegre. The anthropometric data of all the individuals were evaluated and two 6-min walk tests were performed. Based on this, a reference equation was generated, and the test reproducibility was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred eighty-eight children (92 boys) performed the test. Pearson correlation showed that age (r = 0.51), height (r = 0.49), difference in heart rate before and after the test (dif. HR) (r = 0.30), and weight (r = 0.29) were significantly correlated with the distance covered in 6 min. The best multiple regression model included these four variables resulting in the following equation: 145.343 + [11.78 x age (years)] + [292.22 x height (m)] + [0.611 x dif. HR (bpm)] - [2.684 x body weight (kg)]. The intraclass correlation coefficient confirmed the reproducibility among tests.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The reference equation for the 6-min walk test was generated and the distance covered is influenced by age, height, difference in heart rate before and after the test, and body weight.
authors.affiliation: Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Camila Varella
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Priesnitz
authors.forename: Geneviève Horak
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Carolina da Silva
authors.initials: Cda S
authors.lastname: Stumpf
authors.forename: Giovana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Viapiana
authors.forename: Cristina Posteraro
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Cabral
authors.forename: Renato Tetelbom
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: Paulo José Cauduro
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Marostica
authors.forename: Márcio Vinícius Fagundes
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Donadio
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods*; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016138:Walking