Individual characteristics, including olfactory efficiency, age, body mass index, smoking and the sex hormones status, and food preferences of women in Poland

BACKGROUND: Food choices made by most people mainly depend on food preferences. Knowing how certain factors affect food preferences can help dietitians working with women to understand the relationship between individual factors and the challenges faced by the women in changing eating habits. The aim of the study was to examine the food preferences of women and to assess the impact of the sense of smell, age, body mass index (BMI), smoking and hormonal status (phase of the menstrual cycle, hormonal contraception) on the declared pleasure derived from eating various types of food. METHODS: A total of 190 women living in the Górnośląsko-Zagłębiowska Metropolis in Poland aged 18–75 (19.29–26.71 RNO) years participated in the study. The collected survey data included age, BMI, smoking, phase of the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraception. Olfactory sensitivity was measured by T08 olfactometer. Additionally, food preferences were assessed, using 24 different food types, which were presented as pictures. To evaluate food preferences 10 cm visual analogue scale was used. RESULTS: The most liked foods were: fruits (M = 8.81, SD = 1.67), sweet desserts (M = 8.44, SD = 2.30), vegetables and salads (M = 8.08, SD = 2.24), chocolate (M = 7.84, SD = 2.76), and poultry (M = 7.30, SD = 2.47). The least liked foods were: salty products (M = 4.98, SD = 3.03), milk soup (M = 3.30, SD = 3.13), and seafood (M = 2.99, SD = 3.28). The influence of the analyzed factors on the degree of liking six food types was shown. Women with better ability to name scents preferred sausages/ham and beef/pork. Women with a higher BMI had lower preference for jellybeans and broth. Women who were heavier smokers had lower preference for milk soup. In women using hormonal contraception, pleasure from eating sausages and ham was higher than compared to women in all phases of the monthly cycle. In women in the follicular phase the pleasure from eating pasta was lower when compared to women in the ovulatory phase, the luteal phase and those using hormonal contraception. In women in the ovulatory phase the pleasure from eating candies and jellybeans was lower when compared to women in the follicular phase, the luteal phase and those using hormonal contraception. In women in the ovulatory phase, also pleasure from eating broth was lower when compared to women in the luteal phase and those using hormonal contraception. CONCLUSIONS: Among women in Poland, the top five preferred food types are fruits, sweet desserts, vegetables/salads, chocolate and poultry. To confirm the extent to which the declared pleasure derived from eating these food types translates into health condition, further research on the consumption of these food types is necessary. The impact of the sense of smell, BMI, smoking, or menstrual cycle phase and hormonal contraception on the declared pleasure derived from eating was observed for six out of twenty-four food types. The hormonal status was the factor most significantly influencing food preferences.