Effects of Olfactory Stimulation on Swallowing Function in Taiwanese Older Adults

This pretest-posttest pilot study was to examine the effects of how olfactory stimulation (OS) influenced swallowing function in older adults. Forty-four community-dwelling older residents (24 OS & 20 control) from southern Taiwan were recruited. Participants in the intervention group administered pre-meal OS using odor and flavor inhalation. The study found that physiological responses for different food textures significantly differed between groups at post-test (p ≤ .02). Within the experimental group, swallowing function, and individual satisfaction showed significant differences before and after the odor inhalation over time (p < .01, [Formula: see text] = 0.16–0.33). An individual’s satisfaction to their own swallowing capacity was largely enhanced by the significant interaction between time and group (F[1, 42] = 11.34, p = .002, [Formula: see text] = 0.21), but not for physiological response to OS and swallowing function. The results suggest OS may be advantageous to improving physiological response to OS, swallowing function and satisfaction with swallowing capacity in older adults.