TABLE 1.
Basic characteristics of Chinese adults by smell and taste status in 20121
| No smell or taste dysfunction (n = 12,245) | Smell or taste dysfunction (n = 306) | Smell and taste dysfunction (n = 76) | P value | |
| Age, y | 53.5 ± 0.132 | 56.8 ± 0.64 | 57.0 ± 1.3 | <0.0001 |
| Men | 10,106 (82.5) | 247 (80.7) | 65 (85.5) | 0.56 |
| Education | 0.06 | |||
| Primary | 611 (5.0) | 21 (6.9) | 6 (7.9) | |
| Secondary | 8689 (71.0) | 218 (71.2) | 57 (73.7) | |
| College | 2566 (21.0) | 54 (17.7) | 9 (11.8) | |
| Income, RMB/mo | 0.69 | |||
| <500 | 237 (1.9) | 8 (2.6) | 0 (0.0) | |
| 500–1000 | 2206 (18.0) | 54 (17.7) | 13 (17.11) | |
| >1000 | 8353 (68.2) | 201 (65.7) | 53 (69.7) | |
| Occupation | <0.0001 | |||
| White collar | 1240 (10.1) | 33 (10.8) | 3 (4.0) | |
| Blue collar | 6713 (54.8) | 141 (46.1) | 33 (43.4) | |
| Coal miner | 2450 (20.0) | 66 (21.6) | 28 (36.8) | |
| Physical activity | 0.005 | |||
| Inactive | 5738 (46.9) | 159 (52.0) | 24 (31.6) | |
| Moderate | 4530 (37.0) | 98 (32.0) | 41 (54.0) | |
| Active | 1808 (14.8) | 43 (14.1) | 8 (10.5) | |
| Perceived salt consumption | 0.008 | |||
| Light | 1543 (12.6) | 24 (7.8) | 3 (4.0) | |
| Moderate | 9184 (75.0) | 244 (79.7) | 65 (85.5) | |
| Salty | 1348 (11.0) | 32 (10.5) | 5 (6.6) | |
| Smoking status | 0.22 | |||
| Never | 6859 (56.0) | 168 (54.9) | 50 (65.8) | |
| Past | 697 (5.7) | 16 (5.2) | 3 (4.0) | |
| Current | 4517 (36.9) | 116 (37.9) | 20 (26.3) | |
| Drinking status | 0.08 | |||
| Never | 7289 (59.5) | 201 (65.7) | 52 (68.4) | |
| Past | 68 (0.6) | 1 (0.3) | 1 (1.3) | |
| Current | 4888 (39.9) | 104 (34.0) | 23 (30.3) | |
| Previous history of MI | 131 (1.1) | 4 (1.3) | 0 (0) | 0.61 |
| Previous history of stroke | 264 (2.2) | 12 (3.9) | 3 (4.0) | 0.07 |
| Previous history of cancer | 24 (0.2) | 2 (0.7) | 0 (0) | 0.20 |
| Hypertension | 0.13 | |||
| No | 1613 (13.2) | 46 (15.0) | 6 (7.9) | |
| Prehypertension | 4514 (37.0) | 93 (30.4) | 34 (44.7) | |
| Yes | 5641 (46.1) | 150 (49.0) | 33 (43.4) | |
| Diabetes | 0.02 | |||
| No | 9689 (79.1) | 232 (75.8) | 70 (92.1) | |
| Prediabetes | 1203 (9.8) | 29 (9.5) | 3 (4.0) | |
| Yes | 1353 (11.1) | 45 (14.7) | 3 (4.0) | |
| Previous head injury | 308 (2.5) | 12 (3.9) | 5 (6.6) | 0.03 |
| BMI3 | 0.21 | |||
| Normal | 5162 (42.2) | 127 (41.5) | 25 (32.9) | |
| Overweight | 5101 (41.7) | 130 (42.5) | 42 (55.3) | |
| Obese | 1982 (16.2) | 49 (16.0) | 9 (11.8) | |
| Waist circumference4 | 0.22 | |||
| Normal | 5579 (45.6) | 134 (43.8) | 36 (47.4) | |
| Central obesity | 5412 (44.2) | 129 (42.2) | 30 (39.5) |
1
Values are n (%) unless otherwise indicated. MI, myocardial infarction; RMB, renminbi.
2
Mean ± SEM adjusted for age and sex (all such values).
3
BMI (in kg/m2) was categorized as follows: normal, <24; overweight, 24–27; and obese, ≥28.
4
Normal was defined as a waist circumference of <90 cm for men and <85 cm for women; central obesity was defined as a waist circumference of ≥90 cm for men and ≥85 cm for women.