State-level Google search volumes for neck and shoulder pain correlate with psychosocial and behavioral health indicators.
Google
Hip
Knee
Neck
Pain
Search engine
Shoulder
Journal
Journal of the National Medical Association
ISSN: 1943-4693
Titre abrégé: J Natl Med Assoc
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 7503090
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Oct 2021
Oct 2021
Historique:
received:
27
01
2021
revised:
22
03
2021
accepted:
05
04
2021
pubmed:
9
5
2021
medline:
25
11
2021
entrez:
8
5
2021
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
There is growing interest in passively-generated online search data for health sciences research, but limited use to address musculoskeletal illness. (1) To determine geographic and seasonal patterns in Google queries for shoulder, knee, hip, and neck pain across the United States, and (2) to quantify the state-level correlation of the volume of online symptom searches with rates of various population health indicators. Using Google trends, we identified queries for shoulder, knee, hip, and neck pain in every state of the United States during 2018. We assessed the correlation of state-level Google search volumes with 9 population health indicators extracted from the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey: tobacco use, obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, depression, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, participation in physical activities, and college education. Neck and shoulder pain were the most common queries in most Southern states, while knee pain was generally the top query elsewhere. Queries for neck and shoulder pain peaked during the late fall and winter, while searches for knee and hip pain peaked in the spring. State-level search volumes for shoulder and neck pain correlated closely with all health indicators--particularly with tobacco use, obesity, cardiovascular disease, hyperlipidemia, participation in physical activities and college education. The only strong correlation of hip pain queries was with self-reported prevalence of arthritis. Knee pain queries were not associated with any of the studied health indicators. This study highlights the potential of search engine data to be utilized as population-level health indicators. The state-level correlation of psychosocial and behavioral health indicators with online search volumes for neck and shoulder pain may reflect the influence of mental and social health on the experience of pain.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
There is growing interest in passively-generated online search data for health sciences research, but limited use to address musculoskeletal illness.
QUESTIONS/PURPOSES
OBJECTIVE
(1) To determine geographic and seasonal patterns in Google queries for shoulder, knee, hip, and neck pain across the United States, and (2) to quantify the state-level correlation of the volume of online symptom searches with rates of various population health indicators.
METHODS
METHODS
Using Google trends, we identified queries for shoulder, knee, hip, and neck pain in every state of the United States during 2018. We assessed the correlation of state-level Google search volumes with 9 population health indicators extracted from the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey: tobacco use, obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, depression, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, participation in physical activities, and college education.
RESULTS
RESULTS
Neck and shoulder pain were the most common queries in most Southern states, while knee pain was generally the top query elsewhere. Queries for neck and shoulder pain peaked during the late fall and winter, while searches for knee and hip pain peaked in the spring. State-level search volumes for shoulder and neck pain correlated closely with all health indicators--particularly with tobacco use, obesity, cardiovascular disease, hyperlipidemia, participation in physical activities and college education. The only strong correlation of hip pain queries was with self-reported prevalence of arthritis. Knee pain queries were not associated with any of the studied health indicators.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSIONS
This study highlights the potential of search engine data to be utilized as population-level health indicators. The state-level correlation of psychosocial and behavioral health indicators with online search volumes for neck and shoulder pain may reflect the influence of mental and social health on the experience of pain.
Identifiants
pubmed: 33962802
pii: S0027-9684(21)00069-9
doi: 10.1016/j.jnma.2021.04.001
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
522-527Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2021 National Medical Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Declaration of Competing Interest MEM certifies that he had nothing of value related to this study. MAM certified that he had nothing of value related to this study. ASM certified that he had nothing of value related to this study. DR certified that he had nothing of value related to this study.