THE EFFECT OF EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGNS AND PUBLIC FIGURES' CANCER DIAGNOSES ON PANCREATIC CANCER-RELATED ONLINE INFORMATION-SEEKING BEHAVIOR: A HUNGARIAN EXPERIENCE
Author(s)
Márió Gajdács, MPH, MSc, PharmD, PhD1, Irena Ilic, MD PhD2, Zsuzsanna Kívés, MSc, PhD3.
1Department of Public Health, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary, 2University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia, 3University of Pécs, PÉCS, Hungary.
1Department of Public Health, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary, 2University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia, 3University of Pécs, PÉCS, Hungary.
OBJECTIVES: Pancreatic cancers are among malignancies with the highest mortality rates, characterized by an initial non-specific presentation, followed by a rapid, aggressive disease course. Beyond institutional public health campaigns, media coverage surrounding the diagnoses and deaths of prominent public figures may considerably influence the consumption health-related information in the general population. This infodemiological study aimed to evaluate the patterns and drivers of online information-seeking behavior related to pancreatic cancer in Hungary.
METHODS: A quantitative, retrospective, observational study was carried out using the Google TrendsTM database, corresponding to data extracted for the search term ,,hasnyálmirigyrák” (,,pancreatic cancer”). Search intensity data was collected and assessed as raw and corrected relative search volumes (RSVraw and RSVcorr) for the period between 2013-2022. 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: Over the 10-year study period, a decreasing trend (Mann-Kendall: S=-2007, p<0.001; AAPC: -6.97% [95%CI: -10.87 - -2.91], p=0.004) in pancreatic cancer-related search intensity was observed in Hungary; no underlying seasonal trends (p>0.05) were detected. No significant differences in RSV values were observed when comparing pre-pandemic and pandemic periods (2017-2019 vs. 2020-2022: 11.61 [95%CI: 9.76-13.46] vs. 9.69 [95%CI: 7.85-11.53]; p>0.05). Neither ,,World Cancer Day” (p>0.05) nor ,,Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month” campaigns (p>0.05) exerted measurable impacts on RSV values. Conversely, the sharpest isolated peaks in search intensity (identified in 2016 and 2020) aligned chronologically with widely publicized deaths of prominent public figures from pancreatic cancer.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest a long-term decline in baseline online public interest regarding pancreatic cancer in Hungary. Substantial search spikes triggered by high-profile individuals’ health events demonstrate that media interest was a far more powerful driver of public curiosity than traditional public health campaigns.
METHODS: A quantitative, retrospective, observational study was carried out using the Google TrendsTM database, corresponding to data extracted for the search term ,,hasnyálmirigyrák” (,,pancreatic cancer”). Search intensity data was collected and assessed as raw and corrected relative search volumes (RSVraw and RSVcorr) for the period between 2013-2022. 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: Over the 10-year study period, a decreasing trend (Mann-Kendall: S=-2007, p<0.001; AAPC: -6.97% [95%CI: -10.87 - -2.91], p=0.004) in pancreatic cancer-related search intensity was observed in Hungary; no underlying seasonal trends (p>0.05) were detected. No significant differences in RSV values were observed when comparing pre-pandemic and pandemic periods (2017-2019 vs. 2020-2022: 11.61 [95%CI: 9.76-13.46] vs. 9.69 [95%CI: 7.85-11.53]; p>0.05). Neither ,,World Cancer Day” (p>0.05) nor ,,Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month” campaigns (p>0.05) exerted measurable impacts on RSV values. Conversely, the sharpest isolated peaks in search intensity (identified in 2016 and 2020) aligned chronologically with widely publicized deaths of prominent public figures from pancreatic cancer.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest a long-term decline in baseline online public interest regarding pancreatic cancer in Hungary. Substantial search spikes triggered by high-profile individuals’ health events demonstrate that media interest was a far more powerful driver of public curiosity than traditional public health campaigns.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-11, ISPOR Europe 2026, Vienna, Austria
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue 12S
Code
PCR131
Topic
Epidemiology & Public Health, Health Service Delivery & Process of Care, Patient-Centered Research
Topic Subcategory
Patient Behavior and Incentives, Patient Engagement
Disease
Oncology