[The Spanish version of two olfactory scales: reliability and validity]

Abstract

Background: It is well known that smells have marked effects on behavior, cognition and on emotional responses. Therefore, it is very useful to have at our disposal instruments that allow us the measure these effects.

Objective: The aim of this study was to translate and validate the Spanish version of the Affective Impact of Odors scale (AIO) and the Odor Awareness Scale (OAS).

Material and methods: This study was carried out on a sample of 100 participants from the general population. The internal consistency was measured by Cronbach's alpha and the test-retest reliability, by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Convergent validity was assessed by means of Pearson correlation coefficient between the scales and three olfactory measures used as external criteria. As an additional measure of convergent validity, the relationship between AIO and OAS was also assessed. An exploratory factor analysis was carried out to determine the internal structure of the scales.

Results: The Spanish version of AIO and OAS showed a good internal consistency level with Cronbach's alpha of 0.727 and 0.906, respectively. ICC values pointed out a high test-retest reliability (AIO=0.780; OAS=0.895). Convergent validity of these measures was overall satisfactory. A one-factor solution was found for every scale.

Conclusions: The Spanish version of OAS and AIO scales meets psychometric criteria for establishing satisfactory reliability and validity. Thus, they could be considered as suitable research tools for the assessment of the olfactory function in Spanish general population.