Influence of Climate on Google Internet Searches for Pruritus Across 16 German Cities: Retrospective Analysis

Abstract

Background The burden of pruritus is high, especially among patients with dermatologic diseases. Identifying trends in pruritus burden and people’s medical needs is challenging, since not all affected people consult a physician. Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate pruritus search behavior trends in Germany and identify associations with weather factors. Methods Google AdWords Keyword Planner was used to quantify pruritus-related search queries in 16 German cities from August 2014 to July 2018. All identified keywords were qualitatively categorized and pruritus-related terms were descriptively analyzed. The number of search queries per 100,000 inhabitants of each city was compared to environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, particulate matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter (PM10), and sunshine duration to investigate potential correlations. Results We included 1150 pruritus-related keywords, which resulted in 2,851,290 queries. “Pruritus” (n=115,680) and “anal pruritus” (n=102,390) were the most-searched-for keywords. Nearly half of all queries were related to the category localization , with Berlin and Munich having a comparatively high proportion of people that searched for pruritus in the genital and anal areas. People searched more frequently for information on chronic compared to acute pruritus. The most populated cities had the lowest number of queries per 100,000 inhabitants (Berlin, n=13,641; Hamburg, n=18,303; and Munich, n=21,363), while smaller cities (Kiel, n=35,027; and Freiburg, n=39,501) had the highest. Temperature had a greater effect on search query number (beta -7.94, 95% CI -10.74 to -5.15) than did PM10 (beta -5.13, 95% CI -7.04 to -3.22), humidity (beta 4.73, 95% CI 2.70 to 6.75), or sunshine duration (beta 0.66, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.97). The highest relative number of search queries occurred during the winter (ie, December to February). Conclusions By taking into account the study results, Google data analysis helps to examine people’s search frequency, behavior, and interest across cities and regions. The results indicated a general increase in search queries during the winter as well as differences across cities located in the same region; for example, there was a decline in search volume in Saarbrucken, while there were increases in Cologne, Frankfurt, and Dortmund. In addition, the detected correlation between search volume and weather data seems to be valuable in predicting an increase in pruritus burden, since a significant association with rising humidity and sunshine duration, as well as declining temperature and PM10, was found. Accordingly, this is an unconventional and inexpensive method to identify search behavior trends and respective inhabitants’ needs.

Googling for Ticks and Borreliosis in Germany: Nationwide Google Search Analysis From 2015 to 2018

“…Correlating weather data with the Google search volume showed seasonal trends, which were described in previous works concerning pruritus and identified inhabitants’ needs [ 12 ]. Especially during the German winter months October 2016 to March 2017 and October 2017 to March 2018, the Google search volume showed a distinctive increase for tick bite and borreliosis compared to data from October 2015 to March 2016.…”

‘Dr. Google, I have a stomach ache’ – seasonal variations in abdominal pain: a 4-year retrospective data analysis from Google Ads keywords planner

“…Data from Google Ads may be confronted with real-world information to seek for under-researched associations. 25 Therefore, we encourage readers in their investigations using Google Ads. This method is also very useful in case of the lack of real epidemiological data.…”

Challenges in Clinical Research and Care in Pruritus

“…Some patients show multiple causes for the pruritus (multifactorial CP), while in few cases the origin of the pruritus remains unknown despite extensive diagnostic work-up (9). Recent studies have further suggested a substantial impact of climate and weather on the prevalence of pruritus, especially involving specific localizations on the body, but these issues have yet to be examined in epidemiological studies (2)(3)(4). Adding to these factors, patients with CP vary in terms of medical history, comorbidities, co-medication, socioeconomic backgrounds and therapy goals, contributing to the complexity of the management of these patients.…”

“…C hronic pruritus (CP), defined as pruritus lasting for 6 weeks or longer, is highly prevalent, affecting approximately one-sixth of the population in Germany (1). Population-based analyses of the nationwide search volume of pruritus on Google suggest an even larger number of individuals suffering from CP within Germany and the USA (2)(3)(4). Those affected often report a substantial burden and a relevant impairment of their quality of life (QoL) (5,6).…”