Pilot of a Study to create a valid reliable Olfactory Kit for the South Indian Population: Process and Perspectives

Abstract

Background: Olfaction is an under-evaluated component of the human senses. This has been changing, especially in the post corona virus disease(COVID-19) era. However, the effectiveness of existing olfactory kits is suspect. There was a felt need to identify commonly recognizable odorants amongst the South Indian population. A questionnaire-based survey was done to avail a “first list” of such substances. The next step was to conduct a pilot study.
Objective: To document the process of a pilot study to create a list of region-specific identifiable odorants, focusing on the rationale, methodology and results thus obtained.
Methods: Based on the questionnaire survey, and considering the feasibility of obtaining raw materials, 16 odorants were decided upon. These were then tested on 37 healthy individuals, of south Indian domicile, over four non-consecutive, arbitrary days, during the working hours of staff, faculty and students of a medical school. The findings were noted down as a simple “Yes / No” based on the accuracy of the answers given by the participants to describe the odorant.
Results: Ripe jackfruit was the most commonly identified smell (34 / 37, 91.9%), followed by Camphor (31/ 37, 83.8%), alcohol-based hand sanitizer (30 / 37, 81%), and coffee (26 / 37, 70.3%). Cow dung was not identified by any of the participants.
Conclusion: A pilot study is often an unavoidable part of a research project. This paper documents its relevance, especially the aspects of feasibility in a larger population, awareness of likely hurdles, and calculation of sample size for the main (community) study.