Outcomes and covariate domain categorization

The primary outcome was binary and was self-reported taste dysfunction within the preceding 12 months. Candidate independent predictors and covariates were systematically categorized a priori into two functional domains:– Socio-demographic factors (anchor block): These comprised participant age at screening (continuous variable), biological gender, race/ethnicity (categorical variable), educational attainment (categorical variable), annual household income (categorical variable), marital status (categorical variable), and country of birth (categorical variable).– Nutritional and biomarker indices: These comprised serum levels of various biochemical markers, including fatty acids, liver and kidney function markers, hematologic indices, and nutritional/vitamin metrics.