2.3 Statistical analysis
The descriptive statistics for the continuous and categorical variables
are represented using the mean (with standard deviation) or count (with
frequency %), respectively. Statistical differences in the baseline
characteristics between the groups were compared using Wilcoxon’s rank
sum test and Fisher’s exact test. Univariate and multivariate logistic
regression analyses were performed to identify significant factors that
affected the subjective and objective gustatory dysfunction compared
with normal function. The explanatory variables for the analysis were
age, sex, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, subjective smell, objective
smell, threshold, discrimination, identification, and TDI. The final
multivariate logistic regression models were derived using a stepwise
selection with Akaike information criteria (AIC). Statistical analyses
were performed using R version 4.2.2.