Applicability of Sniffin’ Sticks Identification Test as a Screening Tool for Olfactory Dysfunction in Northeast China

BACKGROUND: Because most case of smell loss are unrecognized, a valid and reliable screening test for olfactory function is needed. The Sniffin’ Sticks test is one of the most widely used olfactory tests. As olfaction can be affected by environment and social background, we investigated the regional applicability of Sniffin’ Sticks identification subtest as a screening tool. MATERIAL/METHODS: Normosmic volunteers were recruited between May 2021 and August 2021. We collected data on participants’ age, sex, and educational level. The Self-Reported Mini-Olfactory Questionnaire and identification test of Sniffin’ Sticks test battery were used to assess their olfactory function. RESULTS: A total of 688 subjects (316 male, 371 female) volunteered for the screening test. The mean age of participants was 30±7.69 years (range, 15–63 years), and the average score of all subjects was 12.7±0.81 points. The 3 least recognized items among all 16 tests were lemon (correct identification rate 5.4%), clove (correct identification rate 1.5%), and apple (correct identification rate 0.7%). For Self-Reported Mini-Olfactory Questionnaire, 48 of the 687 subjects (7%) stated that they could not recognize the smell of freshly mowed grass. CONCLUSIONS: We investigated the applicability of using Sniffin’ Sticks Identification test and Self-MOQ as a screening tool for olfactory dysfunction in northeast China. Most of the subjects enrolled in this study failed to reach the normative standard for their age groups in the Sniffin’ Sticks test. We suggest the deletion or replacement of items with extremely low correct identification rates and that physicians who use the Sniffin’s Sticks test in clinical practice test the applicability in advance to avoid misdiagnosis.