Taste disorders in Australian Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children

Aim: To assess the prevalence and type of taste disorders in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children matched for age, gender and living in the same general and educational environment. Methods: Taste function was assessed in 432 Aboriginal (n = 166) and non-Aboriginal (n = 266) children aged 8-12 years from six public schools in a rural township using a three-choice taste identification test and a cross-sectional design. Results: The prevalence of taste disorders was very high and significantly more common in Aboriginal (20/166; 12.0%) than in non-Aboriginal (21/266; 7.9%) children. Forty-one children had quality-specific disorders, of whom 27 (65.9%) had sweet disorders. Children often had more than one quality disorder. Conclusion: The prevalence of taste disorders in children was high and exceeded the level (4%) designated by the World Health Organisation as requiring immediate action by health authorities. As the cause of the disorders is unknown, there is a need for a wider investigation of the causes and the consequences.