Paediatric normative values of the incremental shuttle walking test

• Autor(a) principal: Silva, Sara Sequeira
• Data de Publicação: 2014
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10773/13733
• topic: Fisioterapia; Exercício físico - Crianças; Respiração; Espirogira

Background: Reference values for the incremental shuttle walking test (ISWT) which is applicable in the paediatric population to prescribe exercise need to be solidly established. This study aimed to contribute for establishing paediatric reference values of the ISWT and a reference equation for predicting ISWT. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 55 healthy children performed two ISWT in a 10-m long corridor. The anthropometric and demographic data, physical activity, spirometry and quadriceps muscle strength (QMS) were measured using standardized protocols. Results: In general, healthy children walked 1233.82±348.86 meters in the ISWT, presenting large variability (range 340-2250 m). There were significant correlations between the distance walked in the ISWT with gender (r=0.274; p=.043), age (r=0.659; p<0.001), weight (r=0.310; p=.021), height (r=0.646; p<.001), PAS (r=0.284; p=.035), quadriceps muscle strength (r=0.535; p<.001), but not with BMI (r=-0.026; p=.852) or with FEV1 % predicted (r=0.152; p=.267). A model of stepwise multiple regression showed that gender, age, weight and QMS were independent contributors to the ISWT in healthy subjects, explaining 70% (p<0.001) of the variability. The derived reference equation was: ISWTpredicted= -699.69+(239.329*gender)+(134.616*age)-(9.941*weight)+(12.107*QMS), where male gender = 1 and female gender = 0. Conclusion: In conclusion, the variability of the paediatric ISWT was explained largely by gender, age, weight and QMS. The reference equation could be useful for interpreting the walking performance of paediatric population.