Tonklang Nakharin, Roymanee Supaporn, Sopontammarak Somkiat
Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand.
J Med Assoc Thai. 2011 Apr;94(4):470-5.
The six-minute walk test (6MWT) is a useful test for pre-and post-treatment comparisons, measuring functional status and predicting morbidity and mortality. The test is not widely used with children because the exact reference data in healthy children are often not known and the test requires concentration and co-operation from the participants, which is harder to manage in children. Data for children have been studied in many countries, but data for Thai children is limited.
To establish reference values for a six-minute walking distance (6MWD) of healthy Thai children aged between 9 and 12 years.
A cross-sectional study was conducted in healthy children attending the 4 to 6 grades of seven primary schools in Songkla province in southern Thailand. The tests were conducted according to the American Thoracic Society (ATS) guidelines between June and September 2008. The potential variables were evaluated for their relations and confounding factors. Reference curves were developed.
Seven hundred thirty nine students were recruited for the study, 403 boys (54.5%) and 336 girls (45.5%). Only one girl could not complete the test. The mean 6MWD was 677 (+/- 62.2) meters. The average walking distance was 36.4 meters greater in boys than girls (693.5 and 657.1 meters, respectively). The walking distance increased with age from 9 to 12 years of age in boys, but it decreased with age in girls after 11 years old. There were no unexpected events during or after the tests. Multivariate analysis showed that the 6MWD correlated to age, sex, weight and heart rate differences. Age-specific centile curves of 9 to 12 years for the 6MWD in each sex were developed.
6MWT a practical simple test, is one of several modalities for objective evaluation of functional exercise capacity. The reference value of 6MWT for healthy Thai children aged 9 to 12 years was calculated and reported.
六分钟步行试验（6MWT）是一种用于治疗前后对比、测量功能状态以及预测发病率和死亡率的有用测试。该测试在儿童中未得到广泛应用，因为健康儿童的确切参考数据往往未知，且该测试需要参与者集中注意力并配合，而这在儿童中更难做到。许多国家都对儿童数据进行了研究，但泰国儿童的数据有限。
确定9至12岁健康泰国儿童的六分钟步行距离（6MWD）参考值。
对泰国南部宋卡府七所小学4至6年级的健康儿童进行了一项横断面研究。测试于2008年6月至9月期间按照美国胸科学会（ATS）指南进行。评估了潜在变量之间的关系和混杂因素。绘制了参考曲线。
共招募了739名学生参与研究，其中403名男孩（54.5%），336名女孩（45.5%）。只有一名女孩未能完成测试。平均6MWD为677（±62.2）米。男孩的平均步行距离比女孩长36.4米（分别为693.5米和657.1米）。9至12岁男孩的步行距离随年龄增加，而11岁后女孩的步行距离随年龄下降。测试期间及之后均未发生意外事件。多变量分析表明，6MWD与年龄、性别、体重和心率差异相关。绘制了各性别9至12岁6MWD的年龄特异性百分位数曲线。
6MWT是一种实用的简单测试，是客观评估功能运动能力的几种方法之一。计算并报告了9至12岁健康泰国儿童6MWT的参考值。
