Patterns of Google search behavior for epilepsy and seizures in the Philippines: An infodemiological study

Moalong, Kevin Michael C.; Jamora, Roland Dominic G.; Roberto, Katrina T.; Espiritu, Adrian I.

doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.108377

Cited by 19 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…The impact of public health education activities may be gauged by evaluating the change in online search interest in relation to campaign launch. This effect of awareness campaigns to increase online HISB was suggested in infodemiological studies on epilepsy and colorectal cancer [9,20].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

“…Infodemiology was rst used in predicting outbreaks of in uenza and other infectious diseases and has since been applied to various medical elds [7]. Several infodemiological studies on neurologic disorders and on various elds have been published, including multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, status epilepticus, stroke, meningitis, polio, movement disorders, Alzheimer disease, teleneurology and telerehabilitation [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. Online search trends for neurologic disorders were found to be related to a number of factors such as real-world epidemiologic data, seasonality of the disease, news about celebrities and other prominent gures or mass-media events, patients' emotions and perceptions about their disease, and public awareness campaigns [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Infodemiology of autoimmune encephalitis: An analysis of online search behavior using Google Trends

Roberto

Jamora

Moalong

et al. 2022

Preprint

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BackgroundPatients and their caregivers, including clinicians and educators, use web-based search engines to access healthcare-related information from the internet. Online search behavior analysis has been used to obtain insights on health information demand.ObjectivesWe aimed to describe the online search behavior for autoimmune encephalitis worldwide over time through the analysis of search volumes made on Google.MethodsIn this infodemiological study, we retrieved search volume indices for the keyword “autoimmune encephalitis (disease)” based on worldwide search data from January 01, 2004 to October 31, 2021, using Google Trends. We performed a descriptive analysis of search volume patterns, including related topics and queries.ResultsThere was a progressive increase in search volume numbers over time for the keyword “autoimmune encephalitis (disease)” with no annual seasonal variation. Peak search volume was recorded in July 2018. The greatest search volume was recorded in Singapore, followed by Australia, the United States of America, the Philippines, and New Zealand. The most searched topics were related to autoimmune encephalitis definition, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. All related topics and queries increased in volume by more than 5000-fold over time.ConclusionsThis study showed an uptrend in the online search interest on autoimmune encephalitis over time, which may reflect the increased awareness on the condition by the public and the medical community. Information on online health information-seeking behavior may be obtained from Google Trends data despite its limitations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infodemiology of autoimmune encephalitis: An analysis of online search behavior using Google Trends

Roberto

Jamora

Moalong

et al. 2022

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The present study utilized data from Google Trends as surrogate measures of public interest and awareness since the internet has been a popular source of health-related information for the public. It has been used to assess and monitor numerous non-communicable and communicable diseases, such as COVID-19 and mental disorders ( Arora et al, 2019 ; Moalong et al, 2021 ; Nuti et al, 2014 ; Zhao et al, 2022 ). It can aggregate all searches for a specific keyword and related concepts in any language using keywords designated as “Topic” ( Mavragani & Ochoa, 2019 ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Google Trends determines SVI using an automated algorithm that anonymizes users’ data, categorizes their search queries, and aggregates these searches as topics ( Google, n.d. ). Then, the keyword's search volume is normalized against the highest volume of searches within the specified period and geographic location ( Alibudbud, 2022 ; Moalong et al, 2021 ). Each weekly data point is divided by the total searches in the specified location and time range ( Google, n.d. , Moalong et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Case of Pharmaceutical Messianism Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Infodemiological Study of Ivermectin in the Philippines

Alibudbud

2022

Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice

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Pharmaceutical messianism is a manifestation of medical populism. It arises during extraordinary crises, is built on the familiar, endorsed by heterodox authorities, and involves a highly accessible panacea. Amid the politics and public desperation in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic, pharmaceutical messianism can be observed in the form of Ivermectin, a panacea offered to prevent and treat COVID-19. Thus, it may be worthwhile to determine the changes and patterns of public interest toward Ivermectin. This infodemiological study utilized and described Search Volume Index and related queries for Ivermectin from Google Trends vis-à-vis reported societal events in the Philippines to determine changes in public interest in Ivermectin use. It revealed that a tremendous increase in public interest in Ivermectin has emerged during surges of COVID-19 cases, endorsement by politicians and heterodox health authorities, and public distribution of Ivermectin. It also showed that public interest increased as the number of component characteristics of pharmaceutical messianism increased. Search-related queries and topics also showed that the public might be using the internet to inform themselves regarding the use of Ivermectin for humans, including its use for COVID-19. These findings suggest that people may study the endorsed panacea and weigh it against conventional and orthodox treatment during rising COVID-19 cases. Thus, easily understandable, highly searchable, reliable, and trustworthy online information is ever-crucial in this age of information and disinformation.

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“…While this study explored the public search interest regarding cervical cancer in Japan, several limitations should be considered. First, the ndings only re ect interests from people who utilize Google search and have access to internet information, which may not fully re ect the general population's interests [40,41].…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cervical cancer, the human papillomavirus vaccine, and cervical screenings from 2004—2021: a Google Trends analysis in Japan

Niu

Liu

Kawaguchi

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Background The World Health Organization (WHO) established a global strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer in 2020; fortunately, it can be effectively controlled or prevented by the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Nevertheless, Japan has been experiencing an HPV vaccine crisis since 2013, with a vaccination rate of less than 1% lasting for seven years. We examined trend changes related to cervical cancer topics and assessed the feasibility and limitations of Google Trends as an indicator of public health surveillance. Methods We collected search query data from Google Trends and the annual number of cervical cancer cases from the National Cancer Center, Japan. We then conducted a chronological and geographical analysis of the public interest in the phrases “cervical cancer,” “HPV vaccine,” and “cervical screening” from 2004—2021. We calculated correlations between the annual number of cervical cancer cases and the search terms. We also detected change points in public search interest. Finally, we analyzed subregional-level search interest disparities. Results Japanese public search interest in “cervical cancer,” “HPV vaccine,” and “cervical screening” increased from 2010—2013. Subsequently, interest in “cervical cancer” and “cervical screening” remained stable and relatively high, while interest in “HPV vaccine” was suddenly minimal. The actual number of cervical cancer cases showed a strong correlation with search volumes for “cervical screening” (r = 0.953, p < .001) and “cervical cancer” (r = 0.898, p < .001), respectively. In 2020, the public reignited its interest in “HPV vaccine.” We detected six change points in these three topics around 2010, 2013, and 2020, which aligned with critical policy decisions. Prefectures’ public interest levels were different for these three topics. Conclusions The Japanese public retained low interest in “HPV vaccine” from 2013—2020, while interest in “cervical cancer” and “cervical screening” terms was relatively high. Encouragingly, the public reignited its interest in “HPV vaccine” in 2020, which is expected to promote vaccination. Google Trends can extend unique perspectives for authorities to understand public concerns nearly synchronously, but it has a limited interpretation in subregions.

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Patterns of Google search behavior for epilepsy and seizures in the Philippines: An infodemiological study

Cited by 19 publications

References 33 publications

Infodemiology of autoimmune encephalitis: An analysis of online search behavior using Google Trends

Infodemiology of autoimmune encephalitis: An analysis of online search behavior using Google Trends

A Case of Pharmaceutical Messianism Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Infodemiological Study of Ivermectin in the Philippines

Cervical cancer, the human papillomavirus vaccine, and cervical screenings from 2004—2021: a Google Trends analysis in Japan

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