Background: Functional exercise capacity can be assesed by several modalities. 6MWT provides a better tolerated, easy to adminster, daily life activity test.American Thorasic Society (ATS) provides guidelines for 6MWT(2002). This is a simple test which can be performed at primary care level and recommended by guidelines committee for COPD in India(2003).There are hardly any publications on 6MWT in normal healthy individuals of India.The present study is a sample survey of 6MWT in heathy young college students.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 300 heathy subjects(male-200, female-100).Age ,height in cms, weight in kg baseline and postperformance pulse rate were recorded. 6MWT was conducted in a 100 ft long halfway in the medical college using lap conter to count the number of laps completed and alarm that sounded at six minutes after the walk started.Distance covered at the end of the six minutes was noted as well as pulse rate. ATS guidelines were followed.Satistical analysis was perfromed by SPSS16 to calculate pearson correlation coefficient and student t-test.
Results: Subjects: male-200, female-100.
Age: male- 21.26+/-2.13 years, female-21.27+/- 2.22 years.
Height: male-165.55+/- 7.25 cm, female-157.97+/- 7.95 cm.
Weight: male-63.53+/- 6.67 kg, female- 54.85+/- 5.41 kg.
Body mass index(BMI):male-23.15+/-1.02, female-21.94+/-0.79
Mean 6MWT distance: male- 570.21+/-35.77 meters, female-494.27+/-34.24 meters.
1.Strong correlation between heaight, weight, BMI and 6MWT observed in both males and females.
males females
Height: P( Predicted) < 0.0001 < 0.0001
r(coefficient) 0.772 0.862
Mean 6MWT distance by males was higher than that of females for the same height.
Weight:P < 0.0001 < 0.0001
r 0.165 0.125
BMI: P < 0.0001 < 0.0001
r 0.165 0.125
Conclusions: Mean 6MWT distance was : male- 570.21+/-35.77 meters, female-494.27+/-34.24 meters
Correlation was strong for height,weight,and BMI with the 6MWT distance. Men had higher mean 6MWT distance than women for the same age,weight and BMI.
References:
1. ATS statement guidelines for the six minute walk test AM.J Respir Crti Care Med; 111-117, 2002
2. Guidelines for the management of COPD in India: Aguide for the physicians 2003. Ind.J.Chest Dis.Allied sciences, 2004,46, 137-153.