Normative data of olfactory abilities using cultural adaption Sniffin’ sticks smell test in different age groups

Salina Husain; Irfan Affandi Hamid; Farah Dayana Zahedi; Aneeza Khairiyah Wan Hamizan

doi:10.15537/smj.2021.42.11.20210529

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Table 1

- Normative values for the culturally adapted Malaysian version of Sniffin sticks smell test.

Normosmic	Female subjects				Male subjects				All subjects
Normosmic	THR	DIS	ID	TDI	THR	DIS	ID	TDI	THR	DIS	ID	TDI
Age group A: children (7-12 years old)
N	31				59				90
Mean	10.98	8.84	9.26	29.02	10.47	8.90	9.22	28.60	10.64	8.88	9.23	28.74
SD	3.65	2.10	1.88	4.87	4.19	2.62	2.43	7.37	4.00	2.44	2.24	6.59
Min	1	3	5	19	1	3	3	11	1	3	3	11
Max	16	13	13	37	16	14	13	41	16	14	13	41
Percentiles
5	2.20	4.80	5.60	19.60	2.00	4.00	4.00	15.00	2.00	4.55	5.00	16.55
10	4.60	6.20	7.00	22.60	4.00	6.00	5.00	17.00	4.05	6.00	6.10	19.00
25	9.00	7.00	8.00	26.00	7.50	7.00	8.00	23.00	8.00	7.00	8.00	24.00
50	12.00	9.00	9.00	28.50	11.00	9.00	9.00	30.00	11.75	9.00	9.00	29.75
75	13.00	10.00	11.00	32.50	14.00	11.00	11.00	34.00	13.63	11.00	11.00	33.50
90	14.90	11.80	11.00	36.00	15.00	13.00	13.00	37.00	15.00	12.00	12.00	36.95
95	15.40	12.40	12.40	36.40	15.00	13.00	13.00	39.00	15.00	13.00	13.00	38.45
Age group B: teenager (13-17 years old)
N	40				50				90
Mean	13.18	11.13	10.98	35.25	13.28	10.22	10.90	34.36	13.23	10.62	10.93	34.76
SD	1.91	2.62	1.73	4.10	1.94	2.03	1.82	3.73	1.92	2.34	1.77	3.90
Min	7	6	7	25	8	4	7	25	7	4	7	25
Max	16	16	14	43	16	14	15	45	16	16	15	45
Percentiles
5	10.00	6.05	8.00	28.05	9.00	7.00	8.00	27.10	9.00	7.00	8.00	28.00
10	10.05	7.00	8.10	29.20	10.10	7.00	9.00	30.10	10.05	7.00	9.00	30.10
25	12.13	9.00	10.00	32.25	12.00	9.00	9.75	32.00	12.00	9.00	10.00	32.00
50	13.00	12.00	11.00	35.00	14.00	10.00	11.00	35.00	14.00	11.00	11.00	35.00
75	14.75	13.00	12.00	39.00	15.00	12.00	12.00	36.63	15.00	12.00	12.00	37.13
90	15.45	14.00	13.00	40.00	15.00	13.00	13.00	39.00	15.00	13.90	13.00	40.00
95	15.98	15.00	14.00	42.43	16.00	13.45	14.45	40.45	16.00	14.00	14.00	41.00
Age group C: young adult (18-40 years old)
N	60				30				90
Mean	11.54	12.23	12.80	36.38	11.54	12.23	12.80	36.38	11.58	12.08	12.73	36.26
SD	1.89	1.45	1.41	2.87	1.89	1.45	1.41	2.87	2.07	1.55	1.50	2.96
Min	7.25	9	9	29.5	7.25	9	9	29.50	7	7	9	29.50
Max	15.50	16	16	41.50	15.50	16	16	41.50	15.50	16	16	43.50
Percentiles
5	8.00	9.05	10.05	31.26	8.00	9.05	10.05	31.26	7.89	9.00	10.00	31.14
10	8.55	10.10	11.00	32.50	8.55	10.10	11.00	32.50	8.05	10.00	11.00	32.05
25	10.50	11.00	12.00	34.50	10.50	11.00	12.00	34.50	10.50	11.00	12.00	34.50
50	11.50	12.00	13.00	36.38	11.50	12.00	13.00	36.38	11.50	12.00	13.00	35.75
75	12.50	13.00	14.00	39.00	12.50	13.00	14.00	39.00	13.50	13.00	14.00	38.50
90	14.45	14.00	15.00	40.50	14.45	14.00	15.00	40.50	14.50	14.00	15.00	40.50
95	14.50	14.00	15.00	41.23	14.50	14.00	15.00	41.23	14.73	14.00	15.00	41.36
Age group D: middle age adult (41-60 years old)
N	54				36				90
Mean	11.41	11.85	13.06	36.26	11.42	11.72	12.83	35.81	11.41	11.80	12.97	36.08
SD	2.48	1.39	1.31	3.54	2.30	1.16	1.70	3.28	2.40	1.30	1.47	3.43
Min	5	8	10	25.50	3.50	10	8	30	3.50	8	8	25.50
Max	15.50	15	16	42	14.50	14	16	43	15.50	15	16	43
Percentiles
5	6.25	9.00	11.00	29.50	7.33	10.00	8.85	30.43	6.50	9.55	11.00	30.28
10	7.25	10.00	11.00	30.75	8.35	10.00	11.00	31.35	8.00	10.00	11.00	31.05
25	10.38	11.00	12.00	34.38	10.00	11.00	12.00	33.13	10.00	11.00	12.00	33.88
50	12.00	12.00	13.00	37.00	11.63	12.00	13.00	35.25	11.88	12.00	13.00	36.50
75	13.00	13.00	14.00	39.00	13.00	13.00	14.00	38.38	13.00	13.00	14.00	38.50
90	14.50	13.00	15.00	40.50	14.00	13.00	14.30	40.30	14.00	13.00	14.90	40.00
95	15.5	13.25	15.25	41.13	14.08	13.15	16.00	42.15	14.50	13.00	15.45	41.23
Age group E: older adults (61-80 years old)
N	40				50				90
Mean	10.78	11.18	12.60	34.48	10.45	11.18	12.86	34.17	10.59	11.18	12.74	34.31
SD	2.08	1.28	1.22	3.41	2.10	1.27	1.46	4	2.08	1.27	1.35	3.73
Min	5	8	10	26	4	8	10	24	4	8	10	24
Max	16	14	15	40	13	13	16	40	16	14	16	40
Percentiles
5	7.53	8.05	10.05	28.00	5.88	8.55	10.55	27.10	7.28	8.55	10.55	28.00
10	8.00	10.00	11.00	29.20	7.50	10.00	11.00	28.50	8.00	10.00	11.00	28.55
25	9.50	10.00	12.00	32.63	9.50	10.00	12.00	31.50	9.50	10.00	12.00	31.88
50	11.00	11.00	13.00	34.50	11.00	11.50	13.00	34.00	11.00	11.00	13.00	34.00
75	12.00	12.00	13.75	37.00	12.00	12.00	14.00	38.00	12.00	12.00	14.00	37.13
90	13.00	12.90	14.00	39.00	12.95	13.00	14.90	39.00	13.00	13.00	14.00	39.00
95	13.48	13.00	14.00	39.95	13.00	13.00	16.00	40.00	13.00	13.00	15.00	40.00

THR: olfactory threshold, DIS: odor discrimination, ID: odor identification, TDI: threshold discrimination identification, SD: standard deviation, TDI is a composite score as the sum of results for THR, DIS, and ID by age groups and gender

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Table 2

- The differences between mean TDI scores of 2 age groups.

Age group	Children (17-12 years)	Adolescents (13-17 years)	Young adults (18-40 years)	Middle-aged adults (41-60 years)
Adolescents (13-17 years)	-6.011 (p<0.001)
Young adults (18-40 years)	-7.517 (p<0.001)	-1.506 (p=0.197)
Middle-aged adults (41-60 years)	-7.339 (p<0.001)	-1.328 (p=0.396)	0.178 (p=1.000)
Older adults (61-80 years)	-5.561 (p<0.001)	0.450 (p=1.000)	1.956 (p<0.050)	1.778 (p=0.060)

The differences between mean scores of 2 age groups (group in a column - group in a row) and the post-hoc test: Bonferroni correction significance level (p<0.001; p<0.05)

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Table 3

- The differences between mean smell sub-test (identification test) scores of 2 age groups.

Age group	Children (7-12 years)	Adolescents (13-17 years)	Young adults (18-40 years)	Middle-aged adults (41-60 years)
Adolescents (13-17 years)	-1.698 (p<0.001)
Young adults (18-40 years)	-3.509 (p<0.001)	-1.810 (p<0.001)
Middle-aged adults (41-60 years)	-3.742 (p<0.001)	-2.044 (p<0.001)	-0.233 (p=0.359)
Older adults (61-80 years)	-3.520 (p<0.001)	-1.821 (p<0.001)	-0.011 (p=0.965))	-0.222 (p=0.383)

The differences between mean scores of 2 age groups (group in a column - group in a row) and the post-hoc test: Bonferroni correction significance level (p<0.001; p<0.05)

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Table 4

- The differences between mean smell subtest (discrimination test) scores of 2 age groups.

Age group	Children (7-12 years)	Adolescents (13-17 years)	Young adults (18-40 years)	Middle-aged adults (41-60 years)
Adolescents (13-17 years)	-1.772 (p<0.001)
Young adults (18-40 years)	-3.224 (p<0.001)	-1.451 (p<0.001)
Middle-aged adults (41-60 years)	-2.946 (p<0.001)	-1.174 (p<0.001)	0.278 (p=0.313)
Older adults (61-80 years)	-2.324 (p<0.001)	-0.551 (p<0.05)	0.900 (p<0.05)	0.622 (p<0.05)

The differences between mean scores of 2 age groups (group in a column - group in a row) and the post-hoc test: Bonferroni correction significance level (p<0.001; p<0.05)

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Table 5

- The differences between mean smell subtest (threshold test) scores of 2 age groups.

Age group	Children (7-12 years)	Adolescents (13-17 years)	Middle-aged adults (41-60 years)	Older adults (61-80 years)
Adolescents (13-17 years)	-2.590 (p<0.001)
Young adults (18-40 years)	-0.954 (p<0.05)	1.636 (p<0.001)
Middle-aged adults (41-60 years)	-0.785 (p<0.05)	1.806 (p<0.001)	0.169 (p=0.665)
Older adults (61-80 years)	0.035 (p=0.929)	2.625 (p<0.001)	0.989 (p<0.05)	0.819 (p<0.05)

The differences between mean scores of 2 age groups (group in a column - group in a row) and the post-hoc test: Bonferroni correction significance level (p<0.001; p<0.05)

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Table 6

- The differences of mean TDI and subtests scores between gender using paired T-test.

Variable	Scores		P-value
Variable	Mean±SD	Mean difference (95% CI)
THR
Female	11.59±2.49	0.19 (-0.33 - 0.70)	0.478
Male	11.40±3.03
DIS
Female	11.29±2.06	0.76 (0.36-1.15)	<0.001
Male	10.53±2.21
ID
Female	12.01±1.98	0.21 (0.17-0.99)	0.005
Male	11.43±2.42
TDI
Female	34.80±4.37	1.53 (0.60-2.47)	0.001
Male	33.26±5.64

TDI: threshold discrimination identification, SD: standard deviation, CI: confidence interval, THR: olfactory threshold, DIS: odor discrimination, ID: odor identification. Threshold discrimination identification is a composite score as the sum of results for THR, DIS and ID