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. 2021 Feb 9;151(3):605–614. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxaa400

TABLE 3.

Associations of poor taste and smell with energy and macronutrient intake1

Energy intake, kcal/d Carbohydrate intake, En% Protein intake, En% Fatty acid intake, En%
β (95% CI) P value2 β (95% CI) P value2 β (95% CI) P value2 β (95% CI) P value2
Poor total taste score3 34.32 (−153.59, 222.23) 1.00 1.52 (−0.93, 3.97) 1.00 0.14 (−0.70, 0.98) 1.00 −1.72 (−3.86, 0.42) 0.77
Poor total taste score (no umami) 7.00 (−196.30, 210.30) 1.00 1.54 (−1.11, 4.19) 1.00 0.12 (−0.79, 1.03) 1.00 −1.19 (−3.50, 1.13) 1.00
Poor sweet score 23.28 (−125.03, 171.58) 1.00 −0.47 (−2.40, 1.47) 1.00 −0.61 (−1.27, 0.05) 0.49 0.78 (−0.91, 2.47) 1.00
Poor sour score 94.52 (−19.44, 208.48) 0.70 0.83 (−0.67, 2.32) 1.00 0.32 (−0.19, 0.83) 1.00 −1.21 (−2.51, 0.09) 0.49
Poor salty score −96.97 (−206.79, 12.84) 0.56 0.63 (−0.81, 2.06) 1.00 0.08 (−0.42, 0.57) 1.00 −0.57 (−1.83, 0.69) 1.00
Poor bitter score −97.81 (−301.16, 105.54) 1.00 3.39 (0.75, 6.02) 0.07 0.57 (−0.34, 1.48) 1.00 −3.45 (−5.76, −1.17) 0.02
Poor umami score −99.02 (−214.55, 16.52) 0.63 −0.91 (−2.42, 0.60) 1.00 0.38 (−0.14, 0.90) 1.00 0.26 (−1.07, 1.58) 1.00
Self-reported poor taste −251.40 (−578.77, 75.97) 0.13 −0.36 (−4.64, 3.92) 0.87 −1.71 (−3.16, −0.26) 0.02 3.89 (0.17, 7.61) 0.04
Poor smell identification score4 23.82 (−116.68, 164.31) 1.00 1.37 (−0.46, 3.20) 0.56 −0.70 (−1.32, −0.08) 0.12 0.51 (−1.09, 2.10) 1.00
Poor TDI score 187.52 (−48.21, 423.25) 0.48 0.18 (−2.81, 3.16) 1.00 −0.34 (−1.44, 0.76) 1.00 0.55 (−2.32, 3.43) 1.00
Poor smell threshold score −60.00 (−259.87, 139.87) 1.00 0.95 (−1.61, 3.50) 1.00 −0.65 (−1.58, 0.28) 0.68 −0.58 (−2.99, 1.83) 1.00
Poor smell discrimination score 85.49 (−120.30, 291.29) 1.00 −0.41 (−3.00, 2.18) 1.00 −0.47 (−1.43, 0.48) 1.00 0.19 (−2.31, 2.69) 1.00
Self-reported poor smell −79.50 (−307.09, 148.09) 0.49 −0.02 (−2.99, 2.95) 0.99 −0.81 (−1.82, 0.20) 0.12 1.05 (−1.54, 3.64) 0.43
1

Values are regression coefficients (β), 95% CIs, or P values. All models adjusted for age, sex, educational status, smoking status, medication, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression score, and Mini Mental State Examination score. En%, percentage energy intake; TDI, threshold-discrimination-identification.

2

P values for the individual taste and smell scores are adjusted according to Bonferroni correction; P values for self-reported taste and smell are unadjusted.

3

Poor taste: total taste score <6, total taste score (umami excluded) <5, sweet score <2, sour score <2, salty score <2, bitter score <1, or umami score <1.

4

Poor smell: TDI score ≤19.5, T score ≤2.5, D score ≤7, or I score ≤9.