Wongta Anurak, Samar Muhammad, Kyi Nan Ei Moh Moh, Pintakham Tipsuda, Sawarng Nootchakarn, Hongsibsong Surat
School of Health Sciences Research, Research Institute for Health Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand.
Environmental, Occupational, and NCD Center of Excellent, Research Institute for Health Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2025 Jul 23;22(8):1168. doi: 10.3390/ijerph22081168.
In low- and middle-income countries, notably in rural agricultural populations exposed to environmental and occupational dangers, respiratory impairment and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are major public health issues. This cross-sectional study examined the associations between lung function, functional capacity, and cardiovascular responses to the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) in 137 adults from San Pa Tong District, Northern Thailand. Lung function was assessed using spirometry, and participants were classified accordingly. Hemodynamic parameters, including blood pressure, heart rate, rate-pressure product, and oxygen saturation, were measured before and after the 6MWT. Participants with impaired lung function walked significantly shorter distances ( = 0.004), and walking distance was positively correlated with forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV). Logistic regression confirmed that walking distance independently predicted lung function impairment after adjusting for age and sex. Cardiovascular responses to exercise also varied significantly across demographic subgroups. These findings support the use of the 6MWT as a practical, cost-effective, and scalable method for detecting lung function impairments in resource-limited rural settings. To our knowledge, this is among the first studies to demonstrate the predictive value of the 6MWT for lung function impairment in a Southeast Asian agricultural population.
在低收入和中等收入国家，尤其是在面临环境和职业危险的农村农业人口中，呼吸功能障碍和非传染性疾病是主要的公共卫生问题。这项横断面研究调查了泰国北部清迈府讪巴统区137名成年人的肺功能、功能能力以及六分钟步行试验（6MWT）中的心血管反应之间的关联。使用肺活量测定法评估肺功能，并据此对参与者进行分类。在6MWT前后测量包括血压、心率、率压乘积和血氧饱和度在内的血流动力学参数。肺功能受损的参与者步行距离明显较短（ = 0.004），步行距离与用力肺活量（FVC）和一秒用力呼气量（FEV）呈正相关。逻辑回归证实，在调整年龄和性别后，步行距离可独立预测肺功能受损情况。不同人口亚组的运动心血管反应也存在显著差异。这些发现支持将6MWT作为一种在资源有限的农村地区检测肺功能受损的实用、经济高效且可扩展的方法。据我们所知，这是首批证明6MWT对东南亚农业人口肺功能受损具有预测价值的研究之一。
