An observational study to evaluate the within-day reliability and concurrent validity of 2-minute walk test (2MWT) and 10-metere walk test (10MWT) in health individuals wearing a mask

Background Exercise tests are widely used to prescribe exercises for patients with cardiorespiratory conditions and assess impact of treatments. The 2-minute walk test (2MWT) and 10-metre walk test (10MWT) are common assessments of functional exercise capacity. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in people wearing masks (commonly surgical masks) to reduce infection. However, the validity and reliability of 2MWT and 10MWT wearing a mask is unknown and further research is required. Aim To assess the within-day reliability and concurrent validity of the 2MWT and 10MWT in healthy individuals wearing a surgical mask. Design and Setting Observational study, in a university setting Methods All participants completed three tests of 2MWT and 10MWT wearing a surgical mask (on one day) and one test without a mask (on a separate day) within one week. Oxygen saturation and heart rate were measured using pulse oximetry and the Borg scale assessed dyspnoea. Statistical analyses included: intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for within-day reliability of mask-wearing during three tests and Pearson’s coefficient for concurrent validity correlated tests with a surgical mask and without a mask (the gold standard). Results 15 people, mean (standard deviation) age 26 (2) years were included. The 2MWT and 10MWT (with mask) had excellent within-day reliability (ICC =0.823, 0.920 respectively). Both the 2MWT and 10MWT with and without a mask were highly correlated (r = 0.815, 0.943 respectively, p<0.01). Conclusions The results showed excellent within-day reliability and concurrent validity of 2MWT and 10MWT with a surgical mask in healthy individuals. Further research in clinical populations is needed.