The Effects of Online Health Information–Seeking Behavior on Sexually Transmitted Disease in China: Infodemiology Study of the Internet Search Queries

Abstract

Background Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a serious issue worldwide. With the popularity of the internet, online health information-seeking behavior (OHISB) has been widely adopted to improve health and prevent disease. Objective This study aimed to investigate the short-term and long-term effects of different types of OHISBs on STDs, including syphilis, gonorrhea, and AIDS due to HIV, based on the Baidu index. Methods Multisource big data were collected, including case numbers of STDs, search queries based on the Baidu index, provincial total population, male-female ratio, the proportion of the population older than 65 years, gross regional domestic product (GRDP), and health institution number data in 2011-2018 in mainland China. We categorized OHISBs into 4 types: concept, symptoms, treatment, and prevention. Before and after controlling for socioeconomic and medical conditions, we applied multiple linear regression to analyze associations between the Baidu search index (BSI) and Baidu search rate (BSR) and STD case numbers. In addition, we compared the effects of 4 types of OHISBs and performed time lag cross-correlation analyses to investigate the long-term effect of OHISB. Results The distributions of both STD case numbers and OHISBs presented variability. For case number, syphilis, and gonorrhea, cases were mainly distributed in southeastern and northwestern areas of China, while HIV/AIDS cases were mostly distributed in southwestern areas. For the search query, the eastern region had the highest BSI and BSR, while the western region had the lowest ones. For 4 types of OHISB for 3 diseases, the BSI was positively related to the case number, while the BSR was significantly negatively related to the case number (P<.05). Different categories of OHISB have different effects on STD case numbers. Searches for prevention tended to have a larger impact, while searches for treatment tended to have a smaller impact. Besides, due to the time lag effect, those impacts would increase over time. Conclusions Our study validated the significant associations between 4 types of OHISBs and STD case numbers, and the impact of OHISBs on STDs became stronger over time. It may provide insights into how to use internet big data to better achieve disease surveillance and prevention goals.

The Effect of Information Exchange Activities on Literacy in Online Health Community: The Evidence from PatientsLikeMe

“…Second, this study contributes to identifying factors that influence rational behavior among users by considering OHC as the primary platform where OHI is most actively conducted, drawing insights from decision-making literature about information search [2]. Through an analysis of user data obtained from PatientsLikeMe, our findings indicate a correlation between the number of followers a user possesses and the occurrence of false notes within OHCs.…”

“…Within the sampling period, we gathered 753,858 users for data using the ARM technique. Some samples were excluded by applying the following criteria: (1) Participants who had not logged into the platform within the specified time frame of 36 weeks were excluded from the study; (2) We have excluded users who have no followers, have never made any helpful remarks, have no posts, and do not follow anyone (this criterion is intended to be combined with simultaneous "and" conditions); and (3) Users who had no followers or followings and did not create posts or provide helpful remarks were excluded. Lastly, a total of 15,141 claims about complications were collected from the valid 6731 users included in the study with a crosssectional approach.…”

“…OHC functions as a virtual environment where consumers share ongoing and spontaneous information, facilitating the acquisition of decision-making insights aligned with their individual goals. This phenomenon has ushered in a paradigmatic shift in the exchange of information between consumers themselves, as well as between consumers and healthcare providers, surpassing the traditional framework of information exchange predominantly initiated by providers and received by consumers [1,2]. OHCs, serving as platforms for information exchange, foster relationship-building among members through a shared medium, enabling users to achieve desired benefits aligned with their respective goals (e.g., geographic, temporal, and privacy-related non-constraints).…”

Epidemiological characteristics of syphilis in mainland China, 2004 to 2019

“…Cultural differences, limited healthcare access, and lack of sexual health knowledge may also contribute to the high incidence of syphilis in western regions, such as Xinjiang. 18 Considering their high mobility, sex workers constitute a “bridge population” that can spread syphilis across inland regions. 6 During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, measures adopted by the Chinese government to control the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) also played a role in preventing sexually transmitted infections.…”