Is There Seasonality in Hypothyroidism? A Google Trends Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Epidemiology
• Digital Health

Background:

• Thyroid diseases may exhibit seasonal variations.
• Internet search data offers insights into disease patterns.
• This study investigates hypothyroidism seasonality using online search trends.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the seasonality of hypothyroidism using internet search data.
• To analyze search trends for hypothyroidism and related terms globally and in specific Southern Hemisphere countries.

Main Methods:

• Collected 15 years of Google Trends data worldwide and for Brazil, South Africa, and Australia.
• Utilized search terms: "hypothyroidism+thyroiditis" and "fatigue+weakness".
• Analyzed search periodicity using autocorrelations and cross-correlations, comparing seasonal data with the Kruskall-Wallis test.

Main Results:

• Identified periodicity in hypothyroidism-related internet searches.
• Found strong cross-correlations between searches for "hypothyroidism+thyroiditis" and "fatigue+weakness".
• Observed significantly higher hypothyroidism search volumes during spring in both Northern and Southern Hemispheres (p<0.05).

Conclusions:

• Internet search data suggests a seasonal pattern for hypothyroidism.
• Hypothyroidism-related searches peak in springtime globally.
• The study infers potential hypothyroidism seasonality, acknowledging methodological limitations.