Validation of a 6-Minute Step Test for Predicting Maximal Oxygen Consumption in Healthy Individuals Aged 20-40 Years

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate workers’ health and assess their work capacity to improve their health. In this cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study, the validity of a 6-minute step test was assessed to estimate the maximal oxygen consumption in healthy individuals aged 20 to 40 years. The study population was healthy individuals between 20 and 40 years old referred to the occupational medicine clinic of Shahid Mohammadi Hospital in Bandar Abbas (Iran) in 2020. Based on previous studies and the sample size determination formula, 90 people were selected by the accessible sampling method. A 3-minute step test and a 6-minute walk test were performed on these individuals. Age, weight, heart rate, and distance covered in 6 minutes were used to estimate the maximal oxygen consumption in both 3-minute step test and 6-minute walking tests. According to 3-minute step test results, age and heart rate variables explain 78% of the variance of maximum oxygen consumption. Also, based on the six-minute walk test, 70.6% of the variance of maximum oxygen consumption was explained by age and heart rate variables. Overall, the findings indicated that the 6-minute walk test, similar to the 3-minute step test, has an acceptable validity for predicting maximum oxygen consumption. Accordingly, there is no difference between the two methods, and the six-minute walk method can be a good alternative to the 3-minute step test method.