Latin American countries lead in Google search volumes for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: Implications for global mental health research

Abstract

Objective Although eating disorders occur worldwide, prevalence data beyond Euro‐American contexts are sparse, and eating disorders largely remain outside global mental health agendas. This study aims to address this gap in the epidemiological literature through a global infodemiological comparison of Google search volumes for the topics “Anorexia nervosa” and “Bulimia nervosa.” Method Data were generated through Google Trends, a tool that assesses the relative search volumes of keywords and topics. Google Trends data, collected from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2016, were obtained for the relative search volumes of the topics “Anorexia nervosa” and “Bulimia nervosa” worldwide. Results The findings revealed that Latin American countries accounted for the top 10 in search volume for both topics, with Mexico ranked first until 2016, when Bolivia rose to the top of the list. Discussion The results suggest that eating disorders are of considerable and consistent salience across Latin America, and that population‐based, nationally representative studies to assess the prevalence of eating disorders in Latin American countries should be prioritized within global mental health research agendas.

Seasonality Patterns of Internet Searches on Mental Health: Exploratory Infodemiology Study

“…Thus, tracking internet search queries may represent an advance in our ability to monitor continuous population trends related to mental health issues [1]. However, although recent studies recognize the potential of internet search studies to address existing gaps in the epidemiological literature [23,24], the field is still in its early stages.…”