Information-Seeking Behavior of the Hungarian Population Regarding Lung Cancer: A Digital Epidemiological Study Using Google Trends™
Author(s)
Márió Gajdács, MPH, MSc, PharmD, PhD1, Aria Sedaghat Moghadam, BSc1, Réka Vajda, MSc, PhD2, Imre Boncz, MSc, PhD, MD2, Zsuzsanna Kívés, MSc, PhD2;
1University of Szeged, Department of Oral Biology and Experimental Dental Research, Szeged, Hungary, 2University of Pécs, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute for Health Insurance, Pécs, Hungary
1University of Szeged, Department of Oral Biology and Experimental Dental Research, Szeged, Hungary, 2University of Pécs, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute for Health Insurance, Pécs, Hungary
OBJECTIVES: Hungary faces a devastating burden of cancer-related deaths, characterized by one of the highest incidence and mortality of tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancers in both sexes, globally. The aim of the present study was to assess the intensity of information-seeking behavior of the Hungarian population regarding lung cancer.
METHODS: A quantitative, retrospective, observational study was carried out using the Google TrendsTM database, corresponding to data extracted for the search term ,,tüdőrák” (,,lung cancer”). Search intensity data was collected and assessed as raw and corrected relative search volumes (RSV and RSVcorr) for the period between 2013.01.01-2022.12.31. Statistical analyses (descriptive statistics, parametric tests, time series analysis, joinpoint regression) were carried out using jamovi 2.4.5 and joinpoint 5.3.0 (α: 0.05; 95% confidence interval [CI]).
RESULTS: During the 10-year study period, a sharp decreasing trend (Mann-Kendall: S: -2960, p<0.001; AAPC: -4.14% [95% CI: -7.24 - -0.94], p=0.017) in lung cancer-related search intensity was observed in Hungary; no cyclicity or seasonal trends (Runs-test: p>0.05) were identified. Significantly higher RSV-values were shown before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (2017-2019 vs. 2020-2022: 67.22 [95% CI: 65.47-68.98] vs. 46.89 [95% CI: 45.13-48.64]; p<0.001). The ,,World Cancer Day” (before vs. after: 62.15 [95% CI: 56.53-67.77] vs. 65.83 [95% CI: 61.32-70.33]; p>0.05) and ,,Lung Cancer Awareness Month” (before vs. after: 60.13 [95% CI: 54.20-66.05] vs. 60.45 [95% CI: 53.61-67.29]; p>0.05) campaigns did not lead to significantly increased RSV-values. The counties of Nógrád, Tolna and Zala had the highest information need regarding lung cancer. The most common related queries were ,,tüdőrák tünetei” (,,symptoms of lung cancer”; RSV: 100), ,,tüdőrák jelei” (,,signs of lung cancer”; RSV: 19-48) and ,,kissejtes tüdőrák (,,small cell lung cancer’; RSV: 11-25).
CONCLUSIONS: Despite their public health importance, a notable decreasing trend was seen in the Hungarian population’s lung cancer-related search intensity, which was further exacerbated by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
METHODS: A quantitative, retrospective, observational study was carried out using the Google TrendsTM database, corresponding to data extracted for the search term ,,tüdőrák” (,,lung cancer”). Search intensity data was collected and assessed as raw and corrected relative search volumes (RSV and RSVcorr) for the period between 2013.01.01-2022.12.31. Statistical analyses (descriptive statistics, parametric tests, time series analysis, joinpoint regression) were carried out using jamovi 2.4.5 and joinpoint 5.3.0 (α: 0.05; 95% confidence interval [CI]).
RESULTS: During the 10-year study period, a sharp decreasing trend (Mann-Kendall: S: -2960, p<0.001; AAPC: -4.14% [95% CI: -7.24 - -0.94], p=0.017) in lung cancer-related search intensity was observed in Hungary; no cyclicity or seasonal trends (Runs-test: p>0.05) were identified. Significantly higher RSV-values were shown before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (2017-2019 vs. 2020-2022: 67.22 [95% CI: 65.47-68.98] vs. 46.89 [95% CI: 45.13-48.64]; p<0.001). The ,,World Cancer Day” (before vs. after: 62.15 [95% CI: 56.53-67.77] vs. 65.83 [95% CI: 61.32-70.33]; p>0.05) and ,,Lung Cancer Awareness Month” (before vs. after: 60.13 [95% CI: 54.20-66.05] vs. 60.45 [95% CI: 53.61-67.29]; p>0.05) campaigns did not lead to significantly increased RSV-values. The counties of Nógrád, Tolna and Zala had the highest information need regarding lung cancer. The most common related queries were ,,tüdőrák tünetei” (,,symptoms of lung cancer”; RSV: 100), ,,tüdőrák jelei” (,,signs of lung cancer”; RSV: 19-48) and ,,kissejtes tüdőrák (,,small cell lung cancer’; RSV: 11-25).
CONCLUSIONS: Despite their public health importance, a notable decreasing trend was seen in the Hungarian population’s lung cancer-related search intensity, which was further exacerbated by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-05, ISPOR 2025, Montréal, Quebec, CA
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S1
Code
PCR51
Topic
Patient-Centered Research
Topic Subcategory
Patient Behavior and Incentives, Patient-reported Outcomes & Quality of Life Outcomes
Disease
SDC: Oncology