Exploring taste hyposensitivity in Japanese senior high school students.
OBJECTIVE
The main objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of taste hyposensitivity and the relationships between sex, oral health status, and eating habits with taste hyposensitivity in Japanese senior high school students.


METHODS
Oral examinations, sweet and salt whole-mouth taste tests, and a questionnaire about eating habits were conducted on 234 senior high school students. Factors affecting taste hyposensitivity were investigated using a multivariate analysis.


RESULTS
Sweet-taste hyposensitivity was observed in 7.3% of the students, and salt-taste hyposensitivity in 22.2%. Approximately 3% of the students had both sweet- and salt-taste hyposensitivity, and 22.6% had either sweet- or salt-taste hyposensitivity. In total, 26% had a taste hyposensitivity. There were significant relationships between the intake of instant noodles with sweet-taste hyposensitivity, and the intake of vegetables or isotonic drinks with salt-taste hyposensitivity.


CONCLUSIONS
There was a significant association between eating habits and taste hyposensitivity in Japanese senior high school students. Taste tests would be a helpful adjunct for students to recognize variations in taste sensitivity, and a questionnaire about their eating habits might provide an effective self-review of their eating habits, and therefore, provide motivation to change.
Department of Oral Health Promotion, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan. ohnuki.ohp@tmd.ac.jp
Mari
M
Ohnuki
Kayoko
K
Shinada
Masayuki
M
Ueno
Takashi
T
Zaitsu
Fredrick Allan Clive
FA
Wright
Yoko
Y
Kawaguchi
D000293:Adolescent; D000370:Ageusia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D001628:Beverages / Q000009:adverse effects; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004245:DMF Index; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000009:adverse effects; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009911:Oral Hygiene Index; D010512:Periodontal Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014059:Tongue / Q000473:pathology; D014675:Vegetables / Q000009:adverse effects
D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates