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Using Search Engines to Investigate Shared Migraine Experiences
Sara M Burns1, Dana P Turner1, Katherine E Sexton1
1Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Headache
|June 30, 2017
Summary
Google search data reveals societal factors significantly influence migraine trends. Migraine searches peak on Mondays and decrease during holidays, highlighting the impact of social patterns on public health awareness.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Digital Health
Background:
- Limited exploration of population-level social factors influencing migraines.
- Internet search data offers novel insights into migraine trends beyond clinical data.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate migraine patterns in the US using Google search data.
- Understand societal-level trends and evaluate time-series relationships between migraines and social factors.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal analysis of Google Trends data (2004-2016).
- Daily time-series analysis of relative search volume for 'migraine'.
- Hypothesized impact of societal factors: day of week, holidays, social events.
Main Results:
- Day of the week significantly impacts migraine search volume; Mondays show higher relative search volume than Fridays.
- Holidays, including Christmas and Thanksgiving, are associated with lower relative migraine search volumes.
- Novel social events and extreme weather correlate with changes in migraine search activity.
Conclusions:
- Social factors are critical determinants of population-level migraine patterns.
- Further research into social influences on migraines is warranted.
