Identification of the Most Common Odours Recognizable in the South Indian Community: A Preliminary Survey

Abstract

Background: There is increasing medical evidence regarding olfaction disorders being a key to the diagnosis of diseases. However, there is a lack of a simple kit that can test the sense of smell in local populations, specifically the South Indian population.

Method: A questionnaire was created and disseminated to a random cross-section of people domiciled in South India to obtain a list of commonly recognized smells (odourants). The responses were then collated and analysed.

Results: Responses were obtained from 135 individuals, yielding a total of 651 odourants after refinement. Jasmine and Coffee emerged as the two most commonly recognized odourants, along with many other locally familiar smells reflecting the South Indian community.

Conclusions: There is a need to develop an olfaction testing kit using odourants that are readily identifiable by the target population. This preliminary survey successfully identified a suitable set of odourants for use in the South Indian population.