Skip to main content
PMC home page
Thorax logoLink to Thorax
. 1984 Nov;39(11):818–822. doi: 10.1136/thx.39.11.818

Effect of encouragement on walking test performance.

G H Guyatt, S O Pugsley, M J Sullivan, P J Thompson, L Berman, N L Jones, E L Fallen, D W Taylor
PMCID: PMC459930  PMID: 6505988

Abstract

Walking tests, frequently used to document effects of treatment on exercise capacity, have never been standardised. We studied the effects of encouragement on walking test performance in a randomised study that controlled for the nature of the underlying disease, time of day, and order effects. We randomised 43 patients with chronic airflow limitation or chronic heart failure or both to receive or not receive encouragement as they performed serial two and six minute walks every fortnight for 10 weeks. Simple encouragement improved performance (p less than 0.02 for the six minute walk), and the magnitude of the effect was similar to that reported for patients in studies purporting to show beneficial effects of therapeutic manoeuvres. Age and test repetition also affected performance. These results demonstrate the need for careful standardisation of the performance of walking tests, and suggest caution in interpreting studies in which standardisation is not a major feature of the study design.

Full text

PDF
820

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Belman M. J., Mittman C. Ventilatory muscle training improves exercise capacity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1980 Feb;121(2):273–280. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1980.121.2.273. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cockcroft A. E., Saunders M. J., Berry G. Randomised controlled trial of rehabilitation in chronic respiratory disability. Thorax. 1981 Mar;36(3):200–203. doi: 10.1136/thx.36.3.200. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Leggett R. J., Flenley D. C. Portable oxygen and exercise tolerance in patients with chronic hypoxic cor pulmonale. Br Med J. 1977 Jul 9;2(6079):84–86. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.6079.84. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Leitch A. G., Morgan A., Ellis D. A., Bell G., Haslett C., McHardy G. J. Effect of oral salbutamol and slow-release aminophylline on exercise tolerance in chronic bronchitis. Thorax. 1981 Oct;36(10):787–789. doi: 10.1136/thx.36.10.787. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. McGavin C. R., Gupta S. P., Lloyd E. L., McHardy G. J. Physical rehabilitation for the chronic bronchitic: results of a controlled trial of exercises in the home. Thorax. 1977 Jun;32(3):307–311. doi: 10.1136/thx.32.3.307. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. McGavin C. R., Gupta S. P., McHardy G. J. Twelve-minute walking test for assessing disability in chronic bronchitis. Br Med J. 1976 Apr 3;1(6013):822–823. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.6013.822. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Mungall I. P., Hainsworth R. Assessment of respiratory function in patients with chronic obstructive airways disease. Thorax. 1979 Apr;34(2):254–258. doi: 10.1136/thx.34.2.254. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Pardy R. L., Rivington R. N., Despas P. J., Macklem P. T. Inspiratory muscle training compared with physiotherapy in patients with chronic airflow limitation. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1981 Apr;123(4 Pt 1):421–425. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1981.123.4.421. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Pardy R. L., Rivington R. N., Despas P. J., Macklem P. T. The effects of inspiratory muscle training on exercise performance in chronic airflow limitation. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1981 Apr;123(4 Pt 1):426–433. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1981.123.4.426. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Sinclair D. J., Ingram C. G. Controlled trial of supervised exercise training in chronic bronchitis. Br Med J. 1980 Feb 23;280(6213):519–521. doi: 10.1136/bmj.280.6213.519. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Williams A. J., Osman J., Skinner C. Effects of naftidrofuryl on breathlessness and exercise tolerance in chronic bronchitis. Thorax. 1982 Aug;37(8):617–619. doi: 10.1136/thx.37.8.617. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Woodcock A. A., Gross E. R., Geddes D. M. Drug treatment of breathlessness: contrasting effects of diazepam and promethazine in pink puffers. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1981 Aug 1;283(6287):343–346. doi: 10.1136/bmj.283.6287.343. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Thorax are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES