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Journals / Pediatric Practice and Research / 2026 / Volume: 14 Issue: 1

Comparison of Functional Capacity with Reference Values Using the 6-Minute Walk Test in Patients with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Juvenil İdyopatik Artritli Hastalarda 6 Dakikalık Yürüme Testi Kullanılarak Fonksiyonel Kapasitenin Değerlendirilmesi

Pelin Esmeray Şenol(Mersin Şehir Hastanesi)0000-0002-9493-9355
Merve Kutlar(GAZİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0003-0218-3130
Batuhan Küçükali(GAZİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0002-4268-8603
Çisem Yıldız(GAZİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0002-6901-9944
Nihal Karaçayır(GAZİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0001-5038-7539
Emine Nur Sunar Yayla(Ankara Etlik Eğitim Araştırma ve Şehir Hastanesi)0000-0003-1646-2341
Nuran Belder(GAZİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0001-6058-5037
Deniz Gezgin Yıldırım(GAZİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0002-4823-2076
Sevcan Bakkaloğlu(GAZİ ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0001-6530-9672
Pages
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Publication Date
2026-10-15
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

These preliminary findings support further investigation into the potential value of physical activity as an adjunct to medical treatment in JIA.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:Aim: Evaluating the walking capacity of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is important to understand disease progression and to determine treatment efficacy.
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Key Findings & Data:This study aims to investigate the walking capacity of JIA patients and to explore potential factors affecting their performance.
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Conclusion & Impact:These preliminary findings support further investigation into the potential value of physical activity as an adjunct to medical treatment in JIA.
🔬Design:Research Article
📍Scope:2023 Verileri
⚙️Variables:juvenile idiopathic arthritis · pediatric rheumatology · six-minute walking test

Abstract

Aim: Evaluating the walking capacity of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is important to understand disease progression and to determine treatment efficacy. This study aims to investigate the walking capacity of JIA patients and to explore potential factors affecting their performance. Material and Method: A total of 30 JIA patients were enrolled between January 2023 and March 2023; as one patient could not complete the 6-minute walk test due to leg pain, analyses were performed on 29 patients. Before and after the test, the patients' pulse, oxygen saturation, and blood pressure values were recorded. Results: Among the patients, 16 (55.2%) were female. The median age was 14.7 years (range: 8-19 years), and the median age of disease onset was 9.3 years (range: 1-17 years). The distribution of patients by JIA subtype was as follows: 22 (75.9%) had oligoarticular JIA, 5 (17.2%) had enthesitis-related arthritis, 1 (3.4%) had RF-positive polyarticular JIA, and 1 (3.4%) had psoriatic arthritis. The mean walking distance achieved by the patients was 536.8±80.8 meters. The patients walked 73.7- 102.5% of the walking distances predicted in the literature, and a significant decrease in walking capacity was found. Conclusion: This study suggests reduced walking capacity among JIA patients relative to published reference values. A lower walking capacity was observed in patients receiving treatment compared with those in remission, although this finding may be influenced by confounding by indication and should be interpreted with caution. These preliminary findings support further investigation into the potential value of physical activity as an adjunct to medical treatment in JIA.

Özet

Amaç: Juvenil idiyopatik artritli (JİA) hastaların yürüme kapasitelerinin değerlendirilmesi, hastalığın ilerleyişini anlamak ve tedavi etkinliğini belirlemek açısından önemlidir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, JİA hastalarının yürüme kapasitelerini incelemek ve performanslarını etkileyebilecek potansiyel faktörleri araştırmaktır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Çalışmaya Ocak 2023-Mart 2023 tarihleri arasında 30 JİA hastası dahil edildi; bir hasta bacak ağrısı nedeniyle testi tamamlayamadığından analizler 29 hasta üzerinden yapıldı. Testten önce ve sonra hastaların nabız, oksijen satürasyonu ve kan basıncı değerleri kaydedildi. Bulgular: Hastaların 16’sı (%55,2) kızdı. Ortanca yaş 14,7 yıl (dağılım: 8-19 yıl) ve hastalık başlangıç yaşı ortanca 9,3 yıl (dağılım: 1-17 yıl) idi. JİA alt tiplerine göre dağılım şu şekildeydi: 22 hasta (%75,9) oligoartiküler JİA, 5 hasta (%17,2) entezit ilişkili artrit, 1 hasta (%3,4) RF pozitif poliartriküler JİA ve 1 hasta (%3,4) psöriatik artrit tanılıydı. Hastaların ortalama yürüme mesafesi 536,8±80,8 metre olarak bulundu. Hastalar, literatürde bildirilen beklenen mesafenin %73,7-%102,5’sini yürüdüler ve anlamlı bir yürüme kapasitesi azalması saptandı. Sonuç: Bu çalışma, JİA hastalarında literatürdeki referans değerlere kıyasla yürüme kapasitesinde azalma olduğunu düşündürmektedir. Tedavi almakta olan hastalarda daha düşük yürüme kapasitesi gözlenmiş olsa da, bu bulgu endikasyona bağlı karıştırma ile ilişkili olabileceğinden temkinli yorumlanmalıdır. Bu ön bulgular, fiziksel aktivitenin JİA'da medikal tedaviye ek bir yaklaşım olarak değerinin ileri çalışmalarla araştırılmasını desteklemektedir

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Cite This Article

Şenol, P. E., Kutlar, M., Küçükali, B., Yıldız, Ç., Karaçayır, N., Yayla, E. N. S., Belder, N., Yıldırım, D. G., Bakkaloğlu, S. (2026). Comparison of Functional Capacity with Reference Values Using the 6-Minute Walk Test in Patients with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Pediatric Practice and Research, Volume: 14 Issue: 1. https://doi.org/10.21765/pprjournal.1965663

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