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Updated: May 13, 2026

Taste Exam: A Brief and Validated Test
Published on: August 17, 2018
Development and validation of a chemotherapy-induced taste alteration scale
1Department of Nursing, Gunma Prefectural College of Health Sciences, Japan. tarok@gchs.ac.jp
Purpose/Objectives:
To develop an instrument to assess the specific symptoms of chemotherapy-induced taste alterations.
Design:
Cross-sectional study.
Setting:
Two outpatient chemotherapy centers in Kanto, Japan.
Sample:
Convenience sample of 214 adult patients with chemotherapy-induced taste alterations.
Methods:
Items on the chemotherapy-induced taste alteration scale (CiTAS) were developed by a qualitative study of patients with taste alterations, and the content validity of each item was assessed by a panel of specialized oncology nurses. Data were analyzed for item consistency using Cronbach alpha and construct validity using factor analysis.
Main Research Variables:
Taste alterations, symptoms of discomfort, and impact of taste alterations on daily life.
Findings:
An 18-item scale was developed with four dimensions identified through factor analysis: decline in basic taste, discomfort, phantogeusia and parageusia, and general taste alterations. The scale demonstrated excellent reliability (Cronbach alpha = 0.9) and test-retest reliability (r = 0.94, p < 0.001, n = 28), as well as good validity, which was indicated by its strong correlation with a visual analog scale of the impact of taste alterations on daily life (r = 0.62, p < 0.001) and by negative correlations with Short Form-8 quality-of-life measures (physical component summary, r = -0.33; mental component summary, r = -0.47).
Conclusions:
The CiTAS enabled valid, reliable measurement of specific symptoms of chemotherapy-induced taste alterations. The CiTAS has potential as a clinical tool and also could be used as a measure of chemotherapy-induced taste alterations in future studies.
Knowledge Translation:
The CiTAS may help evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to reduce the symptoms of taste alterations, such as administering zinc and self-care strategies.
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