Using Google Trends to understand information-seeking behaviour about throat cancer

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Informatics
• Digital Epidemiology

Background:

• Individuals increasingly use the internet for health information.
• Understanding online health-seeking behavior is crucial for effective healthcare delivery.
• Internet search trends offer insights into public health concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate Google Trends as a tool for analyzing internet-based information-seeking behavior related to throat cancer.
• To assess the quantity, content, and thematic aspects of online searches for throat cancer.
• To explore the utility of digital data in understanding public health information needs.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Google Trends for data collection from 2004 to 2015.
• Normalized search data for terms including 'throat cancer', 'cancer', 'HPV', 'laryngeal cancer', and 'head and neck cancer'.
• Analyzed temporal and geographical patterns of search interest.

Main Results:

• Identified three significant peaks in 'throat cancer' search interest.
• The primary peak occurred in September 2010, with additional peaks in October 2011 and June 2013.
• Demonstrated distinct temporal patterns in public online search behavior.

Conclusions:

• Internet search analysis provides valuable insights into public information-seeking behavior.
• Mass media significantly influences public health information seeking.
• Tools analyzing search behavior can enhance healthcare delivery and public health interventions.