| Summary: | A functioning sense of smell is not merely the ability to detect an odor, but also the ability to recognize the odor and respond appropriately. Age-related olfactory deficits result in decreased quality of life, as well as predict cognitive decline and mortality. Further, humans also produce and smell chemical signals that convey substantial information about the social world and have significant effects on social interactions.
Here I describe methods I have designed specifically for field research, the Olfactory Function Field Exam (OFFE). I utilize the OFFE to characterize the prevalence of olfactory dysfunction in the aging population of the United States, as well as to investigate the substantial health outcomes and behaviors associated with this important sensory ability. The National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (NSHAP) included the OFFE in its longitudinal representative omnibus field survey of the home-dwelling older adult (age 62--90) population of the United States.
Approximately two-thirds of NSHAP respondents (wave 2, n = 2,212) were tested for odor identification and detection abilities using the OFFE. I utilize this rich dataset to describe the olfactory function of the home-dwelling older adult U.S. population and test hypotheses regarding the relationships among olfactory function, cognitive abilities, social and sexual health, and quality of life outcomes in the rapidly growing and understudied older adult population of the United States.
|
|---|
