L-Q Zou1, T Hummel2, M S Otte3, T Bitter4, G Besser5, C A Mueller5, A Welge-Lussen6, O C Bulut7, O Goktas8, S Negoias9, S-B Li10, A Haehner2. 1. Smell and Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Technische Universitat Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Chemical Senses and Mental Health Lab, Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. 2. Smell and Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Technische Universitat Dresden, Dresden, Germany. 3. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty, Cologne,Germany. 4. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany. 5. Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. 6. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Universitatsspital Basel, Basel, Switzerland. 7. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, SLK Kliniken Am Gesundbrunnen,Heilbronn, Germany; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. 8. HNO Zentrum am Kudamm, Berlin, Germany. 9. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Universitatsspital Basel, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Inselspital, University Hospital, Bern, Bern, Switzerland. 10. Chemical Senses and Mental Health Lab, Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: This cross-sectional, multi-centric study aimed to investigate the differences in quality of life among patients with olfactory dysfunction (OD) of different origin, and to identify factors associated with olfactory-related quality of life (QOL). METHODS: Seven hundred sixty-three adults were recruited from 8 Smell & Taste clinics in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Olfactory-related QOL was assessed by the Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders (QOD). Olfactory function was assessed with the "Sniffin' Sticks" test; self-assessment was performed with visual analog scales. RESULTS: Patients with post-infectious and post-traumatic OD showed poorer olfactory-related QOL than patients with sinonasal and idiopathic OD. The olfactory-related QOL was positively associated with the "Sniffin' Sticks" test score, self-assessed olfactory function, disease duration, and age, with younger olfactory dysfunction patients showing lower QOL. Female patients presented with poorer olfactory-related QOL. In addition, the results showed that self-assessment of olfactory function explained more of the variance in olfactory-related QOL than olfactory function evaluated by the Sniffin’ Sticks test. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to the psychophysical testing results, several factors such as disease cause, disease duration, sex, or self- assessed olfactory dysfunction should be taken into account when assessing the individual severity of the smell loss.
BACKGROUND: This cross-sectional, multi-centric study aimed to investigate the differences in quality of life among patients with olfactory dysfunction (OD) of different origin, and to identify factors associated with olfactory-related quality of life (QOL). METHODS: Seven hundred sixty-three adults were recruited from 8 Smell & Taste clinics in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Olfactory-related QOL was assessed by the Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders (QOD). Olfactory function was assessed with the "Sniffin' Sticks" test; self-assessment was performed with visual analog scales. RESULTS:Patients with post-infectious and post-traumatic OD showed poorer olfactory-related QOL than patients with sinonasal and idiopathic OD. The olfactory-related QOL was positively associated with the "Sniffin' Sticks" test score, self-assessed olfactory function, disease duration, and age, with younger olfactory dysfunctionpatients showing lower QOL. Female patients presented with poorer olfactory-related QOL. In addition, the results showed that self-assessment of olfactory function explained more of the variance in olfactory-related QOL than olfactory function evaluated by the Sniffin’ Sticks test. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to the psychophysical testing results, several factors such as disease cause, disease duration, sex, or self- assessed olfactory dysfunction should be taken into account when assessing the individual severity of the smell loss.