Objective. To determine the test-retest reliability of the 6-minute walk te
st in people with fibromyalgia. Methods. Twenty-six subjects (27-59 years o
f age) performed 3 walk tests over consecutive days before and after a 4-we
ek treatment program.
Reliability was determined using a one-way repeated measures analysis of va
riance and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC2,1).
Results. Reliability of the 6-minute walk test was excellent both at progra
m intake (ICC2,1 = 0.92) and program completion (ICC2,1 = 0.98). On program
intake, significant differences (P < 0.01) were found between test 1 (478
+/- 61 m) and rest 2 (492 +/- 57 m), and between test 1 and test 3 (495 +/-
60 m). On program completion, there were no significant differences across
the 3 replicate tests (507 m, 505 m, and 509 m).
Conclusions. The 6-minute walk test is a reliable measure in people with fi
bromyalgia. In this study, two trials were required to achieve a stable wal
k performance before ct treatment program. This learning effect was not pre
sent following the intervention.