Appetite. 2025 Mar 25:107978. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2025.107978. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Children and adolescents with an insecure dietary pattern are at risk of experiencing adverse health effects. In general, olfactory capacity is particularly important in shaping food-flavor perception, affecting nutritious food intake, and ultimately influencing eating behaviors such as food selection, appetite, and consumption. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the relationship between odor identification ability and dietary patterns in this population.
METHODS: 607 children and adolescents (275 boys and 332 girls) aged 6-17 years from China were recruited for this study. Odor identification performance was assessed using the Universal Sniff (U-Sniff) test, and dietary patterns were measured using the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ).
RESULTS: Children and adolescents who poorly behaved in the U-Sniff test exhibited a greater tendency to choose processed foods, beverages and snacks, while this tendency was mainly observed in children aged 6-8 years.
CONCLUSIONS: Better odor identification ability has a positive impact on children and adolescents’ choice for healthier foods in their daily dietary intake.
PMID:40147563 | DOI:10.1016/j.appet.2025.107978
