Cardiovascular Fitness Procedures Manual

„ Pretest blood pressure and heart rate will then be displayed on BP MONITOR and

will be automatically captured in the system.

„ These values are not the official data points for blood pressure for the NHANES. The

SP’s resting blood pressure and heart rate are measured and recorded in the

physician’s office prior to the treadmill test. The pretest values obtained in the

treadmill testing room simply indicate that the BP unit is functioning.

„ When the blood pressure measurement is captured, the system will display a message

“Demonstrate how to walk on a treadmill.” Do not advance to the treadmill test screen

until you have given this demonstration. See Section 3.9.5 for details.

3.9.4 Script for Explaining Treadmill Test

While you are attaching the chest electrodes and the blood pressure cuff you can explain the

treadmill test to the SP. Below is a standard script that should be read exactly as written to ensure that

each SP is given the same explanation for this test.

Explanation of Treadmill Test - Standard Script: English Version

“The purpose of the treadmill test is to estimate your cardiovascular fitness level. You will

be walking on the treadmill at various speeds and grades. This is not a maximal test to exhaustion. We

will stop when your heart rate reaches a certain level. While this is a very safe test, it is important that you

let us know how you feel during the test. Please report any unusual symptoms that you have during the

test such as chest pain, dizziness, nausea, or pain in your legs.”

Explanation of Treadmill Test - Standard Script: Spanish Version

“El propósito de la prueba en la máquina de andar es calcular su nivel de capacidad

cardiovascular. Usted caminará en la máquina a diferentes velocidades y grados. Esta no es una prueba

máxima de esfuerzo. Pararemos cuando la frecuencia cardíaca (los latidos del corazón) alcance cierto

nivel. Si bien esta es una prueba muy segura, es importante que nos diga cómo se siente durante la prueba.

Por favor informe cualquier síntoma inusual que tenga durante la prueba tal como dolor en el pecho,

mareo, náusea, o dolor en las piernas.”