6 min.test

The 6-Minute-Walking-Test is a simple, efficient, accurate and safe way to measure functional exercise capacity at submaximal exercise levels in adults; it is used to predict morbidity and mortality in cardiopulmonary diseases. A modified form of the test has now proven to be safe, easy to perform and also very acceptable for children. It provides a simple resource of measuring functional motor capacity in children, even at a young age, and could be useful in conducting comparative studies. In a follow-up study, the research team calculated z-scores that help to correlate the change in walking distance with growth. The Z-Score indicates the distance of a measured value from the target value (i.e. walking distance) in the form of the number of standard deviations. Z-scores cannot replace clinical judgment and cannot be used as the sole criterion for determining whether or not cardiopulmonary deterioration/improvement is present. These reference curves allow a more precise classification of mobility and the ability to move in sick children or children with chronic disease as well as better monitoring of the effects of the intervention or treatment.