title: Test for screening olfactory function in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The research determining odors recognizable by children from Poland and Eastern Europe has not been widely described in the literature. The aim of the study was to determine the odors recognizable by Polish children which could be used in a screening olfactory test.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was performed in Children's Hospital in Warsaw. Ninety-one children aged from 2.9 years to 10 years (SD=5.6 years) were examined, 85 (93.4%) of which completed a full olfactory test. Children were separated into three age groups. The olfactory test consisted of 21 odors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analysis of the results of all children's examinations showed statistically significant influence of age on the number of odors identified (p=0.0001; r=0.676). The olfactory test score enabled identification of 6 odors to be included in the screening test: bubble gum, lemon, cola, mint, toffee, fish. Correct identification of at least 4 out of them was accepted as a norm and was achieved by 96.5% of children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Olfactory evaluation is possible for children as young as 3 years old. Child's age influences the number of odors recognized and the specific odors recognition depends also on the home place geographic location and eating habits. Eastern European children most often recognized the following odors: bubble gum, lemon, cola, mint, toffee and fish, as so these odors were considered for olfactory screening test. The 6 odors test has good ability to generalize performance to olfactory status, has normative data and good validity and reliability, is fast, easy and inexpensive to administer.
authors: ENT Department, Czerniakowski Hospital in Warsaw, 19/25 Stepinska St., 00-739 Warsaw, Poland. kfrydel@poczta.onet.pl
authors: Karolina
authors: K
authors: Dżaman
authors: Beata
authors: B
authors: Zielnik-Jurkiewicz
authors: Dariusz
authors: D
authors: Jurkiewicz
authors: Marta
authors: M
authors: Molińska-Glura
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005061:Europe, Eastern; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011044:Poland; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*; D044465:White People