Article

The Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) often is used to measure exercise
capacity in people with cardiopulmonary diseases but has some disadvantages. The
6MWT administered on a treadmill (Tr6MWT) requires less physical space and allows
for easier monitoring of vital parameters than the traditional 6MWT.
The objectives of this study were: (1) to analyze the validity of the Tr6MWT in
people who underwent cardiac surgery; (2) to compare the reliability,
responsiveness, and people's tolerance of the Tr6MWT with those of the 6MWT; and
(3) to evaluate the agreement between the 2 tests.This study was
designed to assess reliability and validity. METHODS: Twenty-six participants who
were inpatients were assessed before a 2-week rehabilitation program. Twenty of
them also were assessed after rehabilitation. All participants performed 3 Tr6MWT
trials and 3 6MWT trials that were randomly assigned on 2 consecutive days.
RESULTS: The Pearson r correlation coefficient between the Tr6MWT and the 6MWT
was .72, indicating satisfactory concurrent validity. The Tr6MWT was as well
tolerated as the 6MWT. The Tr6MWT produced reproducible results after 2 practice
tests, whereas the 6MWT did so after only 1 practice test. Both tests showed high
test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient of >.94; standard
errors of measurement of 23 m for the Tr6MWT and 18.5 m for the 6MWT). The Tr6MWT
showed better responsiveness than the 6MWT (effect sizes of 0.9 for the Tr6MWT
and 0.6 for the 6MWT). The distance covered during the Tr6MWT was significantly
shorter (X=62 m, SD=91) before rehabilitation but not after rehabilitation.
LIMITATIONS: A crossover randomized procedure could have improved the reliability
of the Tr6MWT in people who performed the 6MWT first. CONCLUSIONS: The Tr6MWT
appears to be an instrument with adequate concurrent validity and to be
tolerable, reliable, and responsive for the evaluation of exercise capacity in
people after cardiac surgery even though it is not interchangeable with the 6MWT.

Langue : ANGLAIS