Minoretti Piercarlo, Fortuna Giovanni, D'Acquino Davide, Lavdas Konstantinos
Occupational Health, Studio Minoretti, Oggiono, ITA.
Cureus. 2024 Sep 13;16(9):e69361. doi: 10.7759/cureus.69361. eCollection 2024 Sep.
Objective Occupational exposures may influence gustatory sensations through mechanisms such as fatigue, acute or chronic stress, circadian rhythm disruptions, and exposure to various chemicals. In this cross-sectional study, we sought to compare taste perception across three professional groups, namely airline pilots, construction workers, and office employees, by assessing taste identification times for sweet, salty, sour, and bitter flavors, alongside salivary pH levels. Methods The study cohort consisted of 90 healthy male participants, with 30 individuals in each occupational group, matched for age and professional experience. Salivary pH was measured using pH meter paper, whereas taste identification times were assessed using aqueous solutions applied to dissolvable strips for each taste. Results There were no significant differences in salivary pH among the study groups. However, airline pilots exhibited a significantly longer identification time for sweet taste (9.8 ± 3.9 seconds) compared to construction workers (7.0 ± 3.1 seconds, P < 0.05) and office employees (7.1 ± 3.3 seconds, P < 0.05). Conversely, construction workers demonstrated a significantly prolonged identification time for sour taste (6.1 ± 2.9 seconds) compared to pilots (4.2 ± 2.6 seconds, P < 0.05) and office employees (4.6 ± 2.5 seconds, P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in the identification times for salty and bitter tastes across the groups. Conclusion We found significant differences in taste perception among airline pilots, construction workers, and office employees, particularly concerning sweet and sour tastes. These findings suggest that occupational factors may influence gustatory function in a complex manner. Further research is warranted to explore the underlying mechanisms and potential implications for dietary habits and health within specific occupational groups.
目的 职业暴露可能通过疲劳、急性或慢性应激、昼夜节律紊乱以及接触各种化学物质等机制影响味觉。在这项横断面研究中，我们试图通过评估甜味、咸味、酸味和苦味的味觉识别时间以及唾液pH值，比较航空公司飞行员、建筑工人和办公室职员这三个职业群体的味觉感知。
方法 研究队列由90名健康男性参与者组成，每个职业组有30人，在年龄和专业经验方面进行了匹配。使用pH试纸测量唾液pH值，而味觉识别时间则通过将每种味道的水溶液涂在可溶解纸条上进行评估。
结果 研究组之间的唾液pH值没有显著差异。然而，与建筑工人（7.0±3.1秒，P<0.05）和办公室职员（7.1±3.3秒，P<0.05）相比，航空公司飞行员对甜味的识别时间显著更长（9.8±3.9秒）。相反，与飞行员（4.2±2.6秒，P<0.05）和办公室职员（4.6±2.5秒，P<0.05）相比，建筑工人对酸味的识别时间显著延长（6.1±2.9秒）。各组之间咸味和苦味的识别时间没有观察到显著差异。
结论 我们发现航空公司飞行员、建筑工人和办公室职员在味觉感知上存在显著差异，特别是在甜味和酸味方面。这些发现表明职业因素可能以复杂的方式影响味觉功能。有必要进行进一步的研究，以探索特定职业群体中潜在的机制以及对饮食习惯和健康的潜在影响。
