An epidemiologic study on the correlation between salt threshold, academic test marks, biochemical data, number of complaints, and personality in women college students.

Abstract

One hundred nine 19-year-old female students were surveyed as to academic test marks; salt detection and recognition thresholds; serum cholesterol, serum uric acid, serum cortisol, and other biochemical indices in serum; urinary sodium/creatinine and potassium/creatinine, as well as number of complaints based on the Cornell Medical Index (CMI) and personality based on the Yatabe-Guilford (Y-G) test. The salt recognition threshold showed a high negative correlation with serum uric acid concentration and a slight correlation with CMI complaint number, academic test marks, blood pressure, obesity, and serum cholesterol. The subjects with high salt thresholds had relatively passive personalities. Cholesterol, uric acid, hemoglobin, ferritin, and glucose levels in the serum were higher in the group with higher academic marks. These students also had fewer complaints and more of them were type B individuals based on the Y-G test. They also seemed to be under greater stress. In regression analysis, the partial regression coefficient between academic test marks and serum cholesterol was 60 percent higher than that between academic test marks and serum uric acid. Students who lived on campus had 24.8 milligrams per deciliter (15.7 percent) more serum cholesterol and 3.8 micrograms per deciliter (37.7 percent) more serum cortisol than those who commuted from home.