Six-Minute Walk Test Values For People With And Without Long-Term Conditions In Relation To The Walk Score(R): A Scoping Review

Objective The objective of this review was to summarise published studies reporting Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT) values for adults with and without long-term conditions, to compare these with the Walk Score(R), and make recommendations for healthcare professionals, policy makers and urban planners.Design Scoping review.Methods Key databases - MEDLINE, CINAHL and EMBASE - were searched from January 2008 through March 2019 using combinations of MeSH terms and keywords for English language, peer reviewed, intervention or observational studies. Articles were included if the research included more than 10 participants, described or referenced the protocol and setting used for the 6MWT, and reported on 6MWT values. Mean shortest and longest distances walked in six minutes by people with and without long-term conditions were extracted, and differences compared between each value and the Walk Score(R)value.Results Two hundred and sixty-nine studies comprising approximately 28,170 participants were included in the review. Adults with long-term conditions achieved considerably shorter 6MWT values than adults without long-term conditions, and walked less distance than indicated by the Walk Score(R).Conclusions The premise of the Walk Score(R)is applicable for adults without long-term conditions, but for the Walk Score(R)to be useful for adults with long-term conditions, it should be used only as a guide and if personal and environmental factors are also taken into consideration. The design of neighborhoods needs to be inclusively walkable so that people can 'care for their own health' through being physically active on an everyday basis.