6-Minute Walk Test Assessment Via Mobile App

Development, Validity and Reliability of Android Based 6 Minute Walking Test

This study aims to develop an Android-based 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) application to facilitate quick and efficient functional capacity assessment in clinical settings. The project will be carried out by a multidisciplinary team of software engineers and physiotherapists, with algorithms developed for both indoor and outdoor environments. As GPS signals may be lost indoors, the program will utilize the phone's gyroscope for distance measurement, while GPS signals will be used outdoors. The study will include healthy individuals aged 18-65, without any exercise restrictions. Participants' demographic data will be recorded, and the 6MWT will be conducted according to traditional protocols. During the test, parameters such as heart rate, oxygen saturation, and walking distance will be measured and compared with traditional methods. The Android application will provide auditory and vibration cues at the start and end of the test and will report health data in real-time. The data will be presented as mean ± standard deviation for continuous variables, and the test reliability will be assessed using the test-retest method. Results will be reported as age- and gender-adjusted z-scores for objective functional decline.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Functional Capacity
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Walk Test-T; Other: Walk Test-A

Detailed Description

The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is a widely used test for the objective assessment of functional exercise capacity in the management of patients with moderate to severe lung disease.Unlike pulmonary function testing, 6DYT captures the often coexisting extrapulmonary manifestations of chronic respiratory disease, including cardiovascular disease, frailty, sarcopenia and cancer. Unlike the cardiopulmonary exercise stress test, this test does not require complex equipment or technical expertise. In this low-complexity, safe test, the patient is asked to walk as far as possible along a 30 m corridor for a 6-min period, with the primary outcome measure being the 6-min walking distance in metres.In a healthcare setting, measurement of exercise capacity is important to understand a person's current status and to assess rehabilitation progress. The 6-minute walk test (6MWT), which measures the distance walked in 6 minutes, is a widely used clinical tool for this purpose. A smartphone with integrated sensors provides a suitable platform for wearable biomechanical applications. With a wearable system for 6DYT and minimal additional setup, additional information can be obtained and clinically useful and immediate output can be provided to assess physical function and gait characteristics without the need to purchase specialised medical equipment.Wearable sensors allow a person to walk freely at a self-selected and natural pace that is more representative of everyday life than some laboratory conditions.Many studies have used accelerometers to detect gait and calculate gait parameters such as cadence, step timing and symmetry. Accelerometers can also be used to assess physical activity levels in relation to 6DYT results.In a systematic review published in 2015, 47 applications related to smoking cessation, 7 applications related to hernia, 42 applications related to diabetes, 103 applications related to asthma, 19 applications related to personal health records, 69 applications related to HIV, 29 applications related to colorectal diseases, 46 applications related to cancer, 104 applications related to pain management and 26 applications related to bariatric surgery were used.When the literature was reviewed, studies on the android-based application of 6DYT were conducted, but no application was found in Android application markets. Therefore, the aim of our study is to develop an Android-based 6 Minute Walk Test and to investigate its validity and reliability.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 111

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Betül Taspinar, Prof. Dr.; Phone Number: +90 506 680 44 26; Email: betul.taspinar@idu.edu.tr
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Kubilay Güngörer, Msc. Pt.; Phone Number: +90 554 161 38 04; Email: kubilaygungorer@gmail.com

Study Locations

• Turkey
  • İ̇zmi̇r
    • Konak, İ̇zmi̇r, Turkey
      • Betül TAŞPINAR

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

This study will be conducted with healthy individuals.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Not having a disease that prevents walking
• To be able to use a smartphone

Exclusion Criteria:

• Exercise restriction for any reason
• Pregnancy or any known cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological, metabolic or haematological disease
• Having any problem that prevents communication

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
WalkTest-T; Traditional 6-minute walk test will be applied.	Other: Walk Test-T; 6MWT will be conducted according to traditional protocols. During the test, parameters such as heart rate, oxygen saturation, and walking distance will be measured and compared with traditional methods.; Other: Walk Test-A; In order to develop Android-based 6DYT, the system will be designed with a multidisciplinary team consisting of software engineer and physiotherapist. In this programme, separate algorithms will be developed for indoor and outdoor environments so that individuals can be evaluated in a hospital environment, at home or in daily life. In indoor environments, the GPS signal is lost or there is not enough signal strength. For this reason, the programme will be developed so that the gyroscope of the phone can be used for distance measurement. GPS signals will be used outdoors. In this way, the physical activity level of the individual both in the hospital and in daily life will be measured.
Walk Test-A; Mobile application of 6-minute test will be applied.	Other: Walk Test-T; 6MWT will be conducted according to traditional protocols. During the test, parameters such as heart rate, oxygen saturation, and walking distance will be measured and compared with traditional methods.; Other: Walk Test-A; In order to develop Android-based 6DYT, the system will be designed with a multidisciplinary team consisting of software engineer and physiotherapist. In this programme, separate algorithms will be developed for indoor and outdoor environments so that individuals can be evaluated in a hospital environment, at home or in daily life. In indoor environments, the GPS signal is lost or there is not enough signal strength. For this reason, the programme will be developed so that the gyroscope of the phone can be used for distance measurement. GPS signals will be used outdoors. In this way, the physical activity level of the individual both in the hospital and in daily life will be measured.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
6-Minute Walk Test	Before and after the test, participants' height, body weight, resting heart rate, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, Borg Dyspnea, and fatigue levels are assessed. The test follows American Thoracic Society (ATS) guidelines in a 30-meter covered corridor. At the start and end, participants receive audible and vibration cues. The app notifies the remaining time, and pulse oximeter data is displayed in real time. The practitioner can monitor walking distance, heart rate, and oxygen saturation. At the end of the test, results are reported to both the participant and practitioner. Additional data, including step count, cadence, and step symmetry, are also calculated.	Before and up to 2 weeks
SpO2	In the evaluation, SpO2 will be measured with a Bluetooth pulse oximeter that sends synchronised information flow to the application at the beginning, middle, and end of 6 minutes. In addition, the application will report the average of the SpO2 obtained from the entire test.	Before and up to 2 weeks
Walking distance	Walking distance measurement will be performed according to 6DYT protocols. It will also be compared with the data from the smartphone.	Before and up to 2 weeks
International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form (IPA-SF)	It is one of the most commonly used questionnaires to assess physical activity. Information can be collected by telephone, interview or self-administration. The short form is generally preferred because the long form is repetitive. The short form consists of seven questions and provides information about the time spent by the individual in sitting, walking, moderate and vigorous activities. The question types can vary from 'Last seven days' to 'Any week'.	Before and up to 2 weeks
Heart Rate	In the evaluation, heart rate will be measured with a Bluetooth pulse oximeter that sends synchronised information flow to the application at the beginning, middle, and end of 6 minutes. In addition, the application will report the average heart rate obtained from the entire test.	Before and up to 2 weeks
Modified Borg Scale	It is a scale commonly used to assess exertional dyspnoea severity and rest dyspnoea severity. It consists of ten items describing the severity of dyspnoea according to degrees. The fact that the severity of dyspnoea is defined in the Modified Borg Scale (MBS) makes it easier for patients to apply. In this scale, symptom intensity is displayed progressively in a 0-10 score, representing the "absence of dyspnea" and "maximum dyspnea" respectively. Higher scores mean a worse outcome.	Before and up to 2 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Izmir Democracy University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Ferruh Taspinar, Prof. Dr., Izmir Democracy University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): May 30, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): February 15, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): May 15, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 5, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 17, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): February 21, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 30, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 29, 2025
• Last Verified: April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Validity; Reliability; 6-Minute Walk Test; Android
• Other Study ID Numbers: Android-35

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No