Abstract
Objectives
To provide (1) normative reference values for the 2-minute walk test (2MWT), (2) reference
equations for the 2MWT, and (3) information on the reliability and responsiveness
of the 2MWT across the adult lifespan.
Design
Cross-sectional study.
Setting
General community settings.
Participants
A population-based sample of adult participants (N=1137) contributed data to this
study, which was part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Toolbox for the Assessment
of Neurological and Behavioral Function Norming Project.
Interventions
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measure
2MWT.
Results
Overall, the distance participants walked ranged from 64.6 to 300.8m (mean, 180.9m).
Men walked farther than did women (189.4m vs 176.0m; t=6.8; df=1,135; P<.001). Significant correlations were observed between the 2MWT and age (r=−.41), height (r=.29), weight (r=−.16), and body mass index (r=−.32). Age and body mass index were used in the linear regression modeling to predict
the 2MWT distance (R2=.55–.56). Test-retest reliability of the 2MWT as characterized by the intraclass
correlation coefficient was .82 (95% confidence interval, .76–.87). Based on a standard
error of measurement of 15.3m, the minimum detectable change for the 2MWT was 42.5m.
Conclusions
The study presents norms of the 2MWT established by the NIH Toolbox. The norms can
be used to determine the presence of limitations in walking endurance across the lifespan.
Keywords
List of abbreviations:
2MWT (2-minute walk test), 6MWT (6-minute walk test), BMI (body mass index), CI (confidence interval), ICC (intraclass correlation coefficient), MDC95 (minimum detectable change), NIH (National Institutes of Health)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Archives of Physical Medicine and RehabilitationAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Two-, six-, and 12-minute walking tests in respiratory disease.BMJ. 1982; 284: 1607-1608
- The six-minute walk test predicts peak oxygen uptake and survival in patients with advanced heart failure.Chest. 1996; 110: 325-332
- Comparison of the 2-, 6-, and 12-minute walk tests in patients with stroke.J Rehabil Res Dev. 2005; 42: 103-107
- The clinical utility of a six-minute walk test in peripheral arterial occlusive disease patients.J Am Geriatr Soc. 1998; 46: 706-711
- Assessing recovery and establishing prognosis following total knee arthroplasty.Phys Ther. 2008; 88: 22-32
- Six-minute walk by people with chronic renal failure: assessment of effort by perceived exertion.Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 1995; 74: 54-58
- ATS statement: guidelines for the six-minute walk test.Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2002; 166: 111-117
- Reference equations for the six-minute walk in healthy adults.Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1998; 158: 1384-1387
- Six minute walk distance in healthy subjects aged 55-75 years.Respir Med. 2006; 100: 658-665
- Age- and gender-related test performance in community-dwelling elderly people: Six-Minute Walk Test, Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up & Go Test, and gait speeds.Phys Ther. 2002; 82: 128-137
- Six-minute walk test: a meta-analysis of data from apparently healthy elders.Top Geriatr Rehabil. 2007; 23: 155-160
- Reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the six-minute walk test in patients with heart failure.Am Heart J. 2001; 142: 698-703
- Motor assessment using the NIH Toolbox.Neurology. 2013; 80: S65-S75
- Meaningful change and responsiveness in common physical performance measures in older adults.J Am Geriatr Soc. 2006; 54: 743-749
- Clinical utility of the 2-minute walk test for older adults living in long-term care.Physiother Can. 2009; 61: 78-87
- Functional outcome assessment of lower limb amputees and prosthetic users with a 2-minute walk test.Coll Antropol. 2011; 35: 1215-1218
- Minimal detectable changes of the Berg Balance Scale, Fugl-Meyer Assessment Scale, Timed “Up & Go” Test, gait speeds, and 2-minute walk test in individuals with chronic stroke with different degrees of ankle plantarflexor tone.Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2012; 93: 1201-1208
- Measuring physical activity in asthma patients: two-minute walk test, repeated chair rise test, and self-reported energy expenditure.J Asthma. 2007; 44: 333-340
- Hand grip strength and 2-minute walk test in chronic graft-versus-host disease assessment: analysis from the Chronic GVHD Consortium.Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2013; 19: 967-972
- Psychometric properties of 2-minute walk test: a systematic review.Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2014; 95: 1759-1775
- Reference equation for the 2-minute walk test in adults and the elderly.Respir Care. 2014; 59: 525-530
- SF36 physical functioning scale and 2-minute walk test advocated as core qualifiers to evaluate physical functioning in patients with late-onset sequelae of poliomyelitis.J Rehabil Med. 2008; 40: 387-394
- The 2-minute walk test as a measure of functional improvement in persons with lower limb amputation.Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2001; 82: 1478-1483
- Reliability of the two-minute walk test in individuals with transtibial amputation.Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2002; 83: 1562-1565
- The two-minute walk test as a measure of functional capacity in cardiac surgery patients.Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2004; 85: 1525-1530
- Reproducibility of walking at self-preferred and maximal speed in patients with postpoliomyelitis syndrome.Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2004; 85: 1929-1932
- Validity and reliability comparison of 4 mobility measures in patients presenting with neurologic impairment.Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2001; 82: 9-13
- Assessment of neurological and behavioral function: the NIH Toolbox.Lancet Neurol. 2010; 9: 138-139
- Norming plans for the NIH Toolbox.Neurology. 2013; 80: S87-S92
- Six minute walking distance in healthy elderly subjects.Eur Respir J. 1999; 14: 270-274
- The six-minute walk test in community dwelling elderly: influence of health status.BMC Geriatr. 2004; 4: 6
- Reliability, validity, and responsiveness of a 2-min walk test to assess exercise capacity of COPD patients.Chest. 2006; 130: 119-125
- Reproducibility of the 6-minute-walk test in older women.J Aging Phys Activ. 2001; 9: 184-195
Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 25, 2014
Footnotes
Funded in whole or in part with federal funds from the Blueprint for Neuroscience Research and the Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research, National Institutes of Health (grant no. HHS-N-260-2006-00007-C), with additional support from the National Children's Study (grant no. HHS-N-267-2007-00027-C).
Disclosures: none.
Identification
Copyright
© 2015 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.