The validity and reliability of the 6 minute stepper test in patients with systemic hypertension

Type of funding sources: None.

6 Minute Stepper Test (6MST) is a valid, reliable and practical field test that evaluates exercise capacity in chronic conditions. There is a need for evaluating the validity and reliability of 6MST in for using evaluation during cardiac rehabilitation.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of 6MST test in patients with systemic hypertension.

Forty hypertensive individuals (mean age: 47.55 ± 6.55 years, female/male: 24/16) were included in the study. Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients were recorded and echocardiography was conducted. Functional exercise capacity was evaluated with 6MST and step number during 6MST was recorded. Exercise capacity was tested with the six minutes walk test (6MWT) and used for validity.

Clinical and demographic status of patients were presented in Table-1. According to the test-retest ICC (Intraclass correlation coefficient) analysis for the reliability of 6MST test in hypertensive patients; 6MST test score has very good reliability for single measurements (ICC value = 0.896, p <0.001) and mean measurements (ICC value = 0.945, p <0.001). According to the results of pearson correlation analysis to evaluate the criterion validity of 6MST test; 6MST test score showed a high relationship with 6MWT distance as the criterion test (r = 0.689, p<0.001) in patients with systemic hypertension.

6MST can be used as a valid and reliable test to evaluate exercise capacity in patients with hypertension. Because it is practical, tolerable and safe so it may be a new valid field test in cardiac rehabilitation.