ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC INTEREST ABOUT OSTEOPOROSIS USING GOOGLE TRENDS: ARE SEASON AND ECONOMY EFFECTIVE?

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Health Communication

Background:

• Osteoporosis is a significant global health concern.
• Understanding public awareness is crucial for effective health strategies.
• Seasonal and economic factors may influence public attention to osteoporosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate public awareness of osteoporosis in the USA and worldwide.
• To investigate the influence of seasonal variations on osteoporosis-related search trends.
• To analyze the relationship between income levels and osteoporosis search volumes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Google Trends data for "osteoporosis" searches from 2004 to 2024.
• Applied Cosinor analysis to assess seasonality in search volumes.
• Employed LOESS decomposition for time series analysis.
• Examined search volume variations across US states based on income levels.

Main Results:

• Osteoporosis search volumes globally and in the USA showed a decreasing trend from 2004-2014, followed by an increasing trend post-2015.
• Search volumes were highest during fall months and lowest during summer months, with significant seasonal differences observed (p<0.05).
• No statistically significant differences in search volumes were found based on income levels, either globally or within the USA (p>0.05).

Conclusions:

• Osteoporosis awareness exhibits distinct seasonal fluctuations, with higher public interest in the fall.
• Public health strategies should consider regional and seasonal variations to enhance osteoporosis awareness.
• Income level does not appear to be a significant determinant of osteoporosis search interest.