Global Public Interest and Seasonal Variations in Alzheimer's Disease: Evidence From Google Trends
Background: As the world's population ages, Alzheimer's disease (AD), a common neurodegenerative disease, is a major challenge to human health in the future. Understanding the information needs on AD of the global public can contribute to the prevention and control of AD. The purpose of th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2021.778930/full |
| _version_ | 1818721674116202496 |
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| author | Yan-Mei Mao Yan-Mei Mao Peng Wang Peng Wang Xiao-Yu Wang Xiao-Yu Wang Dong-Qing Ye Dong-Qing Ye |
| author_facet | Yan-Mei Mao Yan-Mei Mao Peng Wang Peng Wang Xiao-Yu Wang Xiao-Yu Wang Dong-Qing Ye Dong-Qing Ye |
| author_sort | Yan-Mei Mao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: As the world's population ages, Alzheimer's disease (AD), a common neurodegenerative disease, is a major challenge to human health in the future. Understanding the information needs on AD of the global public can contribute to the prevention and control of AD. The purpose of this study was to explore global public interest and seasonal variations in AD using Google Trends (GT).Methods: GT was used to obtain relative search volume (RSV) of the keyword “Alzheimer's disease” in six English-speaking countries (Australia, New Zealand, the USA, the UK, Canada, and Ireland) and the world from January 2004 to December 2020. Cosinor analysis was applied to detect the seasonality of AD-related RSV. Time series plot was used to observe the trend of annual mean AD-related RSV. Globally, hot topics and top rising topics related to AD were also analyzed. In addition, we also explored the geographical distribution characteristics of AD-related RSV.Results: AD-related RSV declined steadily from January 2004 to December 2013 and rose steadily from January 2014 to December 2020. Search popularity of AD is low in the southern hemisphere, compared to the northern hemisphere. Cosinor analysis showed that there were significant seasonal variations in AD-related RSV in six English-speaking countries (all P < 0.05). Interestingly, regardless of the hemisphere, peaks were observed in the winter months and trough in the summer months. Topics related to the characteristics and etiology of AD, early onset AD, AD-related associations, care of AD patients, and diseases that can easily be confused with AD had received special attention.Conclusions: There is increasing global public interest for AD and a significant seasonal variation in AD. A better understanding of the seasonal variations and public interest of AD by governments, health workers and patients can contribute to the prevention, management, and treatment of AD. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T20:42:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-aa66de12bf654864ad8386bfdd3ad614 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-858X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T20:42:29Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-aa66de12bf654864ad8386bfdd3ad6142022-12-21T21:33:15ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Medicine2296-858X2021-12-01810.3389/fmed.2021.778930778930Global Public Interest and Seasonal Variations in Alzheimer's Disease: Evidence From Google TrendsYan-Mei Mao0Yan-Mei Mao1Peng Wang2Peng Wang3Xiao-Yu Wang4Xiao-Yu Wang5Dong-Qing Ye6Dong-Qing Ye7Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaInflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaInflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaInflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Hefei, ChinaDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, ChinaInflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, Hefei, ChinaBackground: As the world's population ages, Alzheimer's disease (AD), a common neurodegenerative disease, is a major challenge to human health in the future. Understanding the information needs on AD of the global public can contribute to the prevention and control of AD. The purpose of this study was to explore global public interest and seasonal variations in AD using Google Trends (GT).Methods: GT was used to obtain relative search volume (RSV) of the keyword “Alzheimer's disease” in six English-speaking countries (Australia, New Zealand, the USA, the UK, Canada, and Ireland) and the world from January 2004 to December 2020. Cosinor analysis was applied to detect the seasonality of AD-related RSV. Time series plot was used to observe the trend of annual mean AD-related RSV. Globally, hot topics and top rising topics related to AD were also analyzed. In addition, we also explored the geographical distribution characteristics of AD-related RSV.Results: AD-related RSV declined steadily from January 2004 to December 2013 and rose steadily from January 2014 to December 2020. Search popularity of AD is low in the southern hemisphere, compared to the northern hemisphere. Cosinor analysis showed that there were significant seasonal variations in AD-related RSV in six English-speaking countries (all P < 0.05). Interestingly, regardless of the hemisphere, peaks were observed in the winter months and trough in the summer months. Topics related to the characteristics and etiology of AD, early onset AD, AD-related associations, care of AD patients, and diseases that can easily be confused with AD had received special attention.Conclusions: There is increasing global public interest for AD and a significant seasonal variation in AD. A better understanding of the seasonal variations and public interest of AD by governments, health workers and patients can contribute to the prevention, management, and treatment of AD.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2021.778930/fullAlzheimer's diseasegeriatric medicineglobal public interestseasonal variationsGoogle Trendsneurodegenerative diseases |
| spellingShingle | Yan-Mei Mao Yan-Mei Mao Peng Wang Peng Wang Xiao-Yu Wang Xiao-Yu Wang Dong-Qing Ye Dong-Qing Ye Global Public Interest and Seasonal Variations in Alzheimer's Disease: Evidence From Google Trends Frontiers in Medicine Alzheimer's disease geriatric medicine global public interest seasonal variations Google Trends neurodegenerative diseases |
| title | Global Public Interest and Seasonal Variations in Alzheimer's Disease: Evidence From Google Trends |
| title_full | Global Public Interest and Seasonal Variations in Alzheimer's Disease: Evidence From Google Trends |
| title_fullStr | Global Public Interest and Seasonal Variations in Alzheimer's Disease: Evidence From Google Trends |
| title_full_unstemmed | Global Public Interest and Seasonal Variations in Alzheimer's Disease: Evidence From Google Trends |
| title_short | Global Public Interest and Seasonal Variations in Alzheimer's Disease: Evidence From Google Trends |
| title_sort | global public interest and seasonal variations in alzheimer s disease evidence from google trends |
| topic | Alzheimer's disease geriatric medicine global public interest seasonal variations Google Trends neurodegenerative diseases |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2021.778930/full |
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