Title
Age Expansion of the Thirty-Second Walk Test Norms for Children
Abstract
Purpose: The purposes of this study were to expand age ranges for a previously published normative database (n = 227) on the 30-second walk test, describe changes with age, explore contributions of subject characteristics, and verify previous data.
Methods: Children (n = 302; age, 5–17 years) from 4 urban schools were tested for distance walked in 30 seconds. Age, height, right lower extremity length, weight, sex, and race/ethnicity were recorded.
Results: Distance walked increased from 5 to 10 years of age, decreased slightly at age 11 years, followed by a more gradual decrease from 12 to 17 years. A significant difference in distance walked was found across ages. Right leg length, age, and weight explained 11.5% of the variance in walk distance.
Conclusion: A percentile chart of the pooled data (previous and current, n = 529) should facilitate the use of the 30-second walk test when examining children for mobility limitations.
Department(s)
Kinesiology
Document Type
Article
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1097/pep.0b013e3181b170d4
Keywords
adolescents, analysis of variance, biomechanics/statistics and numerical values, child, crosssectional studies, exercise test/methods, female, gait, human movement system, male, reference values
Publication Date
2009
Recommended Citation
Knutson, Loretta M., Barbara Bushman, Janice Clark Young, and Gary Ward. "Age expansion of the thirty-second walk test norms for children." Pediatric Physical Therapy 21, no. 3 (2009): 235-243.
Journal Title
Pediatric Physical Therapy
