Two-Minute Walk Test and the First 2 Minutes of the 6-Minute Walk Test in Healthy Adults Aged 20 - 60 Years
Keywords:
Walk test, Correlation, Walk performanceAbstract
Walk test is used to quantitatively assess the physical function. The 2-minute walk test (2MWT) has gained popularity since it takes a short duration and has correlation with the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). This cross-sectional analytic study aimed to investigate 1) test-retest reliability of 2MWT, 2) the distance walked in the 2MWT and the 6MWT, 3) the correlation between the outcomes of the 2MWT and the first 2 minutes of the 6MWT, and 4) the correlation between the estimated outcomes of the 6MWT using 2MWT distance in a linear equation and the actually tested outcomes of 6MWT. Sixty participants were evaluated using the 2MWT for 3 times and the 6MWT for one time in a random sequence. Both tests were administered following the testing guideline in a 21 meters horizontal corridor. The results showed that test-retest reliability was excellent with a high intraclass correlation (ICC=0.958, 95 CI; 0.936-0.974). The mean of the 2MWT distance and the 6MWT distance were 163.26±31.07m and 468.90±99.28m, respectively. There was a high correlation coefficient between the outcomes of the 2MWT from the first test and the first 2 minutes of the 6MWT (r=0.954; p<0.05), and between the estimated outcomes of the 6MWT using 2MWT distance in a linear equation and the actually tested outcomes of 6MWT (r=0.950; p<0.05). Therefore, a single 2MWT walk test can be used to represent the test results. In addition, the outcomes of 2MWT and the first 2 minutes of the 6MWT could be used to estimate the outcomes of the 6MWT. The 2MWT may be the alternative walk test that can apply in individuals who are unable to walk for 6 minutes in the evaluation of walking performance.
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