The six-minute walk test (6MWT) has been considered simple, safe, easy administration, and provide representative results about normal activities of day-to-day. The objective of the study was to evaluate and compare the 6-min walk distance (6MWD) with predicted distance by reference equations available in the scientific literature in healthy elderly adults, and to verify the applicability of these reference equations in this population. Forty-three elderly adults apparently healthy (23 males) between 55 to 78 years old were assessed by means of general physical assessment, the spirometry and 6MWT. The 6MWT was performed twice, with 30-min interval between them. The 6MWD was significantly (paired t-test: p<0.05) higher than those predicted by the equations of Enright and Sherrill, Masmoudi et al., Alameri, Al-Majed and Al-Howaikan and Dourado, Vidotto and Guerra, and they were significantly lower than those provided by Troosters, Gosselink and Decramer, Gibbons et al., Enright et al., Camarri et al., Ben Saad et al. and Soares and Pereira. No significant differences were observed between the 6MWD and the predicted values by the equations of Chetta et al. and Iwama et al. Most reference equations used underestimates or overestimates the 6MWD, except of the Chetta et al., and Iwama et al. that showed acceptable to this population. There difference between the distances, even when the 6MWT is realized with similar methodology and rigorous standardization, thus emphasizes the need for specific equations for each population.
reference values; walking; physical therapy specialty
