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Silva C.1, Moraes W.1, Pin A.1, Borges G.2, Maciel T.1
1Federal University of Amazonas, Physiotherapy Dept., Coari, Brazil, 2Federal University of Southern Bahia, Teixeira de Freitas, Brazil
Background: The Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) is an important predictor of cardiopulmonary diseases and can be used in primary health care services, because is a safely test, by easy implementation and low cost that is used on a large scale in the world, requiring reference values for this evaluation obtain clinical power.
Purpose: Establish reference values for the six-minute walk test in healthy children of the Northern Brazil, so that specific values for the local population can be applied in health treatments that require the use of 6MWT.
Methods: This was a prospective, randomized experimental cross-sectional study, what evaluated 125 healthy children of both sexes, aged between 7 and 12 years, of Coari city/ AM - Brazil. First were measured anthropometric data of all participants, who were after instructed to the 6MWT proceedings as recommended by the American Thoracic Society, then performing the test as recommended. Previously each subject had measured their blood pressure, heart rate and breathing, as well as SatO2 in the blood; with a repeat examination in the first and second minute after test. In the end of 6MWT (where all concluded the same), concurrent with the exams, each subject indicated the researcher as he felt fatigued on the Borg Scale of Perceived Exertion. All data were tabulated and D´Agostino test ensure normality, test t-student´s for parametric sample, test Wilcoxon for non-parametric data and the ANOVA tail test with Dunnett´s post-test were conducted considering p 0,05.
Results: The medium values seen in girls was 430,88 ± 49,22 m, in boys was 456,97 ± 66,84 m, and the average distance was 443,93±57,30 m, below of expected values for sample. Distances, significantly below the reference values for similar characteristics population, can be justified by several factors: low BMI that the population presented the specific climatic conditions local and regional low HDI.
Conclusion(s): The values found here, although significantly below the average of other countries for similar populations, can be used as reference in the application of the 6MWT in Northern Brazilian children safely to health care monitoring.
Implications: This research provides reference values for the 6MWT to be applied more effectively in treatment programs, improving the quality of health services offered in Northern Brazil.
Funding acknowledgements: Unfunded research.
Topic: Paediatrics
Ethics approval: Medicine college - University of São Paulo
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
