Disparities in Olfactory Dysfunction in African Americans

Objectives: To examine olfactory performance in African Americans (AA) and Whites by comparing individual scent scores on objective olfactory tests to assess potential racial-ethnic differences of scent detection. Methods: Cross-sectional study of healthy participants, age 18+ years, and without sinonasal inflammatory disease from June 2021 to April 2022. Included participants self-identified as AA or White. Patients were recruited from outpatient clinics at University of Kansas Medical Center, and the local community. Two smelling tests were employed: Affordable Rapid Olfactory Measurement Array (AROMA) and Sniffin’ Sticks (SST-12). Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) was used for self-reported olfactory function . Pearson correlation and chi-square tests were used to detect statistical significance. Results: Our sample included 102 (46 AA and 56 Whites) participants. AROMA and SST-12 scores were significantly correlated in AA (P