Cross-cultural modification of the University of Pennsylvania smell identification test for the Saudi Arabian population

Objectives: To develop a reliable version of the Saudi Arabian-University of Pennsylvania smell identification test (SA-UPSIT) and to establish normative values for both genders.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on voluntarily recruited normal participants in King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from April 2018 to May 2023. Culture-familiar odors were chosen and the kit was translated into Arabic for the study. The test was modified 3 times in 4 versions. Following this, a random sample was collected to carry out a re-test after 6 weeks.

Results: A total of 288 subjects participated in the development of the SA-UPSIT across all versions, including 146 females and 142 males. The average age of the participants was 28.4±9.9 years. In the final version, 111 participants scored an average of 34.5±2.5 for the total score, 35±2.3 for females, and 34.1±2.6 for males. The test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.73, indicating acceptable reliability.

Conclusion: The new changes carried out to the SA-UPSIT increased the average scores and demonstrated good reliability, making it clinically applicable for diagnosing and monitoring olfactory dysfunction.