Exploring Associations with 6-Minute Walk Test Performance in Adolescents and Young Adults with Down Syndrome: a Pilot Study

Six-minute walk test (6MWT) has been shown to be a valid and reliable measure of functional performance with respect to mobility in individuals with Down syndrome (DS). However, a wide variability of walking distance was observed from previous studies. Thus, there is a need to investigate the possible influencing factors of walking distance of the 6MWT in this population. In the current study, fourteen adolescents and young adults with DS, aged 14-30 yr. were recruited. Anthropometric variables, such as chronological age (CA), mental age (MA), Body Mass Index (BMI), level of physical activity (PA), grip strength, represented as muscular strength, leg length, resting heart rate (RHR), exercise heart rate (EHR) and walked distance of 6MWT (6MWD) were measured during their laboratory visit. Our results indicated the positive associations between the level of PA, grip strength, leg length and 6MWD. The total of 37.7% of the variance in 6MWD can be explained while considering the level of PA and grip strength in this population. Future research is still needed to include elderly populations with DS and more measures (i.e., motivation, leg length) to implement effective intervention and optimize functional performance in individuals with DS.