The influence of body composition on the six-minute walk test in Chilean preschool and school children
Influencia de la composición corporal en el test de la caminata de seis minutos en preescolares y escolares chilenos

Gabriela Salazar, Fabián Vásquez, Fernando Concha, Bárbara Leyton, Juliana Kain
2021
the six minutes' walk test (6MWT) measures submaximal physical activity. this study determines the association of children´s nutritional status and body composition with the results of the 6MWT. a sample of 1419 Chilean children, 4 to 10 years of age, were assessed including anthropometry, body composition by validated equations, the 6MWT test, and in 50 % of the sample heart rate prior the test, at one minute into the test, and at one minute posttest with a Polar watch. the distance walked
more » ... ed from 473.1 ± 47.8 m in preschool children to 584.2 ± 65.7 meters in school children. In heart rate there was a significant difference between obese and eutrophic children. The distance walked in the 6MWT was positively associated with fat-free mass (p < 0.05) and BMI (r2 = 0.49). Body composition influences 6MWT quartile distribution, as well as nutritional status. Age and height explained 49 % of the variance (R2 = 0.42 and 0.47, respectively) in the 6MWT, and there are significant differences in this variable by sex, body composition, and nutritional status. body composition was associated with walking performance in children. Thus, it is important to evaluate height and body composition when assessing the six-minute walk test because of this important relationship.
doi:10.20960/nh.03424 pmid:34816726 fatcat:heu5z7wgcvhm7i4pkipkn2dlqm