Comparative reliability, concurrent and convergent validity, and predictive value of the 6-min walk test over 15 and 30 m in patients with subacute stroke.

The 6-min walk test (6MWT) is used to assess gait capacity in patients with stroke; however, the standard 30-m version (6MWT-30 m) is often impractical in clinical settings because of space limitations. We investigated the validity and reliability of a 15-m version (6MWT-15 m) in 29 individuals with subacute stroke. Test-retest reliability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), minimal detectable change (MDC), and Bland-Altman analysis. Validity was evaluated through correlations with the 10-m walk test (10mWT), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and Fugl-Meyer Assessment for the Lower Extremities (FMA-LE). The 6MWT-15 m demonstrated excellent reliability (ICC = 0.997) and acceptable measurement error (MDC = 19.5 m), with strong correlations with the 10mWT, BBS, FMA-LE, and 6MWT-30 m, supporting its validity. Regression analysis identified the 6MWT-15 m as the sole significant predictor of 6MWT-30 m (R2 = 0.98) walking distance. These findings support the 6MWT-15 m as a reliable, valid, and practical alternative for assessing walking capacity in patients suffering from subacute stroke, particularly in space-limited clinical settings.