Sociodemographic, psychological, and lifestyle characteristics are associated with a liking for salty and sweet tastes in French adults.
BACKGROUND
Various studies have shown that sensory liking influences dietary behavior and that individual characteristics are related to food intake and weight status, but little is known about individual profiles associated with salt and sweet liking.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between a liking for salty and sweet tastes (i.e., a liking for foods rich in salt or sugar and preferred amounts of salt or sugar seasoning in foods) and sociodemographic, psychological, and lifestyle characteristics in a large sample.


METHODS
Individual factors and liking scores were collected by validated questionnaires from 37,181 French adults participating in the NutriNet-Santé study, a large web-based observational cohort launched in 2009 that studies relations between nutrition and health. The associations were assessed by multivariable multinomial logistic regression models adjusted for socioeconomic, anthropometric, and health variables.


RESULTS
In both genders, with increasing age, individuals were more likely to have a high salt liking (men, OR: 1.24; 95% CI: 1.18, 1.30; women, OR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.19), whereas they were less likely to have a strong sweet liking (men, OR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.83, 0.91; women, OR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.64, 0.68). Current smokers (men, OR: 2.30; 95% CI: 1.90, 2.78; women, OR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.36, 1.66) and heavy drinkers (men, OR: 2.92; 95% CI: 2.37, 3.58; women, OR: 2.57, 95% CI: 2.22, 2.98) were more likely to like salt than nonsmokers and alcohol abstainers. Regarding the sweet taste, women smokers were less likely to like sweets (OR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.72, 0.89). Highly uncontrolled eaters [men, OR: 2.39; 95% CI: 2.04, 2.80; women, OR: 2.22; 95% CI: 1.99, 2.47) and highly emotional women (OR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.18, 1.55) were more likely to have a high liking for sweets than slightly uncontrolled eaters and nonemotional eaters, whereas those with high cognitive restraint (men, OR: 0.39; 95% CI: 0.33, 0.46; women, OR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.50, 0.60) and former weight-loss dieters (men, OR: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.52, 0.70; women, OR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.62, 0.73) were less likely to have a strong sweet liking compared with those with low cognitive restraint and never-dieters.


CONCLUSIONS
An unhealthy lifestyle that includes smoking and alcohol consumption may influence salt liking, and eating behavior may have an impact on sweet liking. Further research is needed to study the influence of individual factors and sensory liking on dietary intake and weight status. This study was registered at the European Clinical Trials Database as 2013-000929-31.
Paris 13 University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), U1153 National Institute of Health and Medical Research, U1125 National Institute for Agricultural Research, National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts, Paris 7 and 5 Universities, Bobigny, France; a.lampure@eren.smbh.univ-paris13.fr.
Aurélie
A
Lampuré
Center for Taste and Feeding Behaviour, UMR 6265 National Center for Scientific Research, UMR 1324 National Institute for Agricultural Research, Bourgogne University, Dijon, France;
Pascal
P
Schlich
Center for Taste and Feeding Behaviour, UMR 6265 National Center for Scientific Research, UMR 1324 National Institute for Agricultural Research, Bourgogne University, Dijon, France; Agrocampus Ouest, UMR 1253 National Institute for Agricultural Research, Science and Technology of Milk and Eggs, Rennes, France;
Amélie
A
Deglaire
Paris 13 University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), U1153 National Institute of Health and Medical Research, U1125 National Institute for Agricultural Research, National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts, Paris 7 and 5 Universities, Bobigny, France; Paris 13 University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Nutritional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, French Institute for Health Surveillance, Department of Chronic Diseases and Injuries, Bobigny, France; and.
Katia
K
Castetbon
Paris 13 University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), U1153 National Institute of Health and Medical Research, U1125 National Institute for Agricultural Research, National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts, Paris 7 and 5 Universities, Bobigny, France;
Sandrine
S
Péneau
Paris 13 University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), U1153 National Institute of Health and Medical Research, U1125 National Institute for Agricultural Research, National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts, Paris 7 and 5 Universities, Bobigny, France; Paris 13 University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Nutritional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, French Institute for Health Surveillance, Department of Chronic Diseases and Injuries, Bobigny, France; and Department of Public Health, Avicenne Hospital, Bobigny, France.
Serge
S
Hercberg
Paris 13 University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), U1153 National Institute of Health and Medical Research, U1125 National Institute for Agricultural Research, National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts, Paris 7 and 5 Universities, Bobigny, France;
Caroline
C
Méjean
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology*; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013649:Taste; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*
dietary determinant; eating behavior; lifestyle; salty taste; sensory liking; sweet taste