scholarly journals Google Trends as a Tool for Evaluating Public Interest in Facial Cosmetic Procedures

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (8) ◽  
pp. 908-918 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan D Tijerina ◽  
Shane D Morrison ◽  
Ian T Nolan ◽  
Daniel G Vail ◽  
Rahim Nazerali ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The utility of Google Trends (GT) in analyzing worldwide and regional patient interest for plastic surgery procedures is becoming invaluable to plastic surgery practices. GT data may offer practical information to plastic surgeons pertaining to seasonal and geographic trends in interest in facial cosmetic procedures. Objectives The authors sought to analyze geographic and temporal trends between GT search volumes and US surgery volumes using univariate analysis. Methods The “related queries” feature of GT generated potential search terms. GT data were compiled for cheek implants, mentoplasty, otoplasty, blepharoplasty, rhytidectomy, forehead lift, hair transplantation, lip augmentation, lip reduction, platysmaplasty, and rhinoplasty from January 2004 to December 2017. Annual volumes for respective procedures were obtained from annual statistics reports of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) from 2006 to 2017 and American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) from 2004 to 2017. Results Geographical and temporal variations in search volume were detected during the study. Search volume trends that correlated significantly with both ASPS and ASAPS surgery volume trends were: “eyelid plastic surgery” (ASPS R2 = 0.336, P = 0.048; ASAPS R2 = 0.661, P = 0.001); “facelift” (ASPS R2 = 0.767, P ≤ 0.001; ASAPS R2 = 0.767, P = 0.001); “lip injections” (ASPS R2 = 0.539, P = 0.007; ASAPS R2 = 0.461, P = 0.044); and “rhinoplasty surgery” (ASPS R2 = 0.797, P ≤ 0.001; ASAPS R2 = 0.441, P = 0.01). Several search terms demonstrated no significant relationships or were significant with only one database. Conclusions GT may provide a high utility for informing plastic surgeons about the interest expressed by our patient population regarding certain cosmetic search terms and procedures. GT may represent a convenient tool for optimizing marketing and advertising decisions.

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. NP34-NP43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan D Tijerina ◽  
Shane D Morrison ◽  
Ian T Nolan ◽  
Daniel G Vail ◽  
Gordon K Lee ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Several online resources such as Google Trends (GT) enable plastic surgeons to track search volume trends for cosmetic procedures. Understanding these data may allow surgeons to better anticipate patients’ interests and meet their needs. Objectives The authors sought to evaluate the correlation between GT search volumes and annual surgery volumes. Methods Search terms were generated using the “related queries” feature of GT. Data were obtained for the terms breast augmentation, buttock augmentation, buttock implants, buttock lift, calf augmentation, liposuction, lower body lift, thighplasty, abdominoplasty, and brachioplasty from January 2004 to November 2017. Annual volumes for respective procedures were obtained from statistics reports of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) from 2006 to 2017 and American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) from 2004 to 2017. Correlations were evaluated applying univariate linear regression of GT data to both ASPS and ASAPS data. Results Geographical and temporal variations in search volume were detected during the study. Search volume trends that correlated significantly with both ASPS and ASAPS surgery volume trends were: “butt implants surgery” (ASPS: R2 = 0.366, P = 0.049; ASAPS: R2 = 0.380, P = 0.019); “liposuction” (ASPS: R2 = 0.690, P = 0.002; ASAPS: R2 = 0.578, P = 0.002); and “liposuction surgery” (ASPS: R2 = 0.672, P = 0.002; ASAPS: R2 = 0.476, P = 0.006). Several search terms demonstrated no significant relationships, negative correlations, or were significant with only one database. Conclusions This study characterizes GT as a convenient and informative data set for plastic surgeons to analyze patient interest in cosmetic body-sculpting procedures. GT represents a useful instrument for tailoring marketing strategies and addressing the needs of our patient population.


Author(s):  
Kometh Thawanyarat ◽  
Shannon Francis ◽  
Trudy Kim ◽  
Connor Arquette ◽  
Shane Morrison ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Increased video-chatting, stimulated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has been correlated with increased appearance concerns. Initial lockdown restrictions correlated with a decrease in aesthetic/cosmetic plastic surgery case volumes. Objectives We aim to delineate public interest in aesthetic procedures surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic via Google Trends (GT). We hypothesize that because of the pandemic, public interest in plastic surgery procedures increased, especially localized above the shoulder. Methods Trends in the US for given search terms and volumes were gathered via Google Trends between January 2015 to March 2021. The search volumes were normalized, and a bivariate regression analysis of panel data was then applied to the aggregate trendlines to determine if a statistically significant change in search volume occurred following the stay-at-home orders. Results The following search terms had statistically significant (p < 0.000) increases in search volumes after February 2020: blepharoplasty, Botox, brachioplasty, breast implant removal, breast reduction, brow lift, buccal fat removal, hair transplantation, lip augmentation, mentoplasty, otoplasty, platysmaplasty, rhinoplasty, and thighplasty. Chi-squared analysis demonstrated a statistically significant association (Chi-squared = 4.812, p = 0.028) between increases in search volume and above the shoulder procedures. Conclusions Public interest in above the shoulder surgical procedures showed a statistically significant increase following February 2020 compared to below the shoulder procedures. Continued examination of specific procedure trends, as well as determining correlations with more accurate procedural datasets, will provide increased insight into consumers’ mindsets and to what extent video conferencing plays on the public’s interest in pursuing aesthetic surgery.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (11) ◽  
pp. 1253-1262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan D Tijerina ◽  
Shane D Morrison ◽  
Ian T Nolan ◽  
Matthew J Parham ◽  
Rahim Nazerali

Abstract Background Google Trends (GT) provides cost-free, customizable analyses of search traffic for specified terms entered into Google’s search engine. GT may inform plastic surgery marketing decisions and resource allocation. Objectives The aim of this study was to determine GT’s utility in tracking and predicting public interest in nonsurgical cosmetic procedures and to examine trends over time of public interest in nonsurgical procedures. Methods GT search volume for terms in 6 ASPS and ASAPS nonsurgical procedure categories (Botox injections, chemical peel, laser hair removal, laser skin resurfacing, microdermabrasion and soft tissue fillers [subcategories: collagen, fat, and hyaluronic acid]) were compared with ASPS and ASAPS case volumes for available dates between January 2004 and March 2019 with the use of univariate linear regression, taking P < 0.01 as the cutoff for significance. Results Total search volume varied by search term within the United States and internationally. Significant positive correlations were demonstrated for 17 GT terms in all 6 ASPS and ASAPS categories: “Botox®,” “collagen injections,” “collagen lip injections” with both databases; and “chemical skin peel,” “skin peel,” “acne scar treatment,” “CO2 laser treatment,” “dermabrasion,” “collagen injections,” “collagen lip injections,” “fat transfer,” “hyaluronic acid fillers,” “hyaluronic acid injection,” “hyaluronic acid injections,” “Juvederm®,” and “fat transfer” with just 1 database. Many search terms were not significant, emphasizing the need for careful selection of search terms. Conclusions Our analysis further elaborates on recent characterization of GT as a powerful and intuitive data set for plastic surgeons, with the potential to accurately gauge global and national interest in topics and procedures related to nonsurgical cosmetic procedures.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Stanton ◽  
Steven J. Katz

Abstract Background The etiology and pathophysiology of sarcoidosis remains unclear, with epidemiologic studies limited by its relatively low prevalence. The internet has prompted patients to seek information about medical diagnoses online; Google Trends provides access to an anonymized version of this data, which has a new role in epidemiology. We hypothesize that there is seasonal variation in the relative search interest of sarcoidosis, which would suggest seasonal variation in the incidence of sarcoidosis. Methods Google Trends was used to assess the relative search volume from 2010 to 2020 for “sarcoidosis” and “sarcoid” in 7 countries. ANOVA with multiple comparisons was performed to compare the mean relative search volume by month and by season for each country, with a p-value less than 0.05 indicating statistical significance. Results Our analysis revealed a significant seasonal variation in search popularity in 4 of the 7 countries and in the Northern Hemispheric countries combined. Direct comparison showed search terms to be more popular in spring, specifically March & April, than in the winter. Southern Hemisphere data was not statistically significant but showed a trend towards a nadir in December and a peak in September and October. Conclusions Overall, these findings suggest seasonal variation with a possible peak in spring and nadir in winter. This supports the hypothesis that sarcoidosis has seasonal variation and is more commonly diagnosed in spring, but more evidence is needed to support this, as well as investigation into the pathophysiology of sarcoidosis to explain this phenomenon.


Author(s):  
María Sanz-Lorente ◽  
Javier Sanz-Valero ◽  
Carmina Wanden-Berghe

Resumen: Introducción: El uso de datos de la Web sobre salud ha demostrado ser útil para evaluar diversos aspectos del comportamiento humano. Objetivo: analizar la tendencia de las búsquedas de información sobre VIH/sida que se realizan, en España, a través de Google. Metodología: Estudio descriptivo. Los datos se obtuvieron mediante acceso online a Google Trends, utilizándose los términos “VIH” y “sida”. Variables estudiadas: consultas relacionadas; hitos; volumen de búsqueda relativo (VBR) y evolución temporal. Fecha de consulta 25 noviembre 2018. Resultados: Se observaron 3 hitos sobre “sida”. El cociente medio entre los dos términos, 1,78 ± 0,13, presentó diferencias significativas (t = 5,29; p < 0,001). El VBR demostró diferencias entre los términos en la 1ª época y la evolución temporal para “sida” fue claramente decreciente (R2 = 0,89; p < 0.001); para “VIH” fue ligeramente creciente (R2 = 0,02; p = 0,087). La relación del VBR entre los términos para el periodo estudiado mostró una relación escasa (R = 0,21; p = 0,005). Conclusiones: La evolución temporal obtenida probablemente se deba a un cambio de preocupación social, del sida al VIH, o a un mayor conocimiento de la enfermedad, que refleja la evolución histórica del VIH y el sida: la infección por el VIH como enfermedad crónica.Palabras clave: Síndrome de Inmunodeficiencia Adquirida; VIH; sida; Acceso a la Información; Google Trends.Abstract: Introduction: The use of health data from the Web has proven useful for evaluating various aspects of human behavior. Objective: to analyze the trend of searches for information on HIV/AIDS carried out in Spain, through Google. Methodology: Descriptive study. The data were obtained through online access to Google Trends, using the terms «HIV» and «AIDS». The variables were: related consultations; milestones; relative search volume (RSV) and temporal evolution. Consultation date 25 November 2018. Results: Users used search terms related to the main terms. There were three milestones in the results of search on «AIDS». The ratio between the two terms, 1.78 ± 0.13, presented significant differences (t = 5.29; p < 0.001). The RSV showed differences between the terms in the first time to study and the time course for ‘AIDS’ was clearly decreasing (R2 = 0.89, p < 0.001), while for ‘HIV’ was slightly increased (R2 = 0.02; p = 0,087). The relation of the RSV, between the two terms, for the entire period studied showed a low relation (R = 0.21, p = 0.005). Conclusions: the temporal evolution obtained is probably due to a change of social concern, from AIDS to HIV, or perhaps to a better understanding of the disease, which reflects the historical evolution of HIV and AIDS: the HIV infection as a chronic disease.Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; HIV; AIDS; Access to Information; Google Trends.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanie Seidl ◽  
Barbara Schuster ◽  
Melvin Rüth ◽  
Tilo Biedermann ◽  
Alexander Zink

BACKGROUND Experts worldwide agree that skin cancer is a global health issue, but only a few studies have reported on world populations’ interest in skin cancer. Internet search data can reflect the interest of a population in different topics and thereby identify what the population wants to know. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to assess the interest of the German population in nonmelanoma skin cancer and melanoma. METHODS Google AdWords Keyword Planner was used to identify search terms related to nonmelanoma skin cancer and melanoma in Germany from November 2013 to October 2017. The identified search terms were assessed descriptively using SPSS version 24.0. In addition, the search terms were qualitatively categorized. RESULTS A total of 646 skin cancer-related search terms were identified with 19,849,230 Google searches in the period under review. The search terms with the highest search volume were “skin cancer” (n=2,388,500, 12.03%), “white skin cancer” (n=2,056,900, 10.36%), “basalioma” (n=907,000, 4.57%), and “melanoma” (n=717,800, 3.62%). The most searched localizations of nonmelanoma skin cancer were “nose” (n=93,370, 38.99%) and “face” (n=53,270, 22.24%), and the most searched of melanoma were “nails” (n=46,270, 70.61%) and “eye” (n=10,480, 15.99%). The skin cancer‒related category with the highest search volume was “forms of skin cancer” (n=10,162,540, 23.28%) followed by “skin alterations” (n=4,962,020, 11.36%). CONCLUSIONS Our study provides insight into terms and fields of interest related to skin cancer relevant to the German population. Furthermore, temporal trends and courses are shown. This information could aid in the development and implementation of effective and sustainable awareness campaigns by developing information sources targeted to the population’s broad interest or by implementing new Internet campaigns.


Author(s):  
Lily N. Trinh ◽  
Rachel Safeek ◽  
Daniel Herrera ◽  
Amar Gupta

AbstractFacial cosmetic surgery trends are evolving in the current climate of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The aim of this study was to evaluate public interest in elective facial plastic surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic including the period of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution using Google Trends. A Google Trends analysis was completed using popular terms related to facial cosmetic surgery and procedures from March 2017 to August 2021. Three stages were identified (baseline, pre-COVID-19 vaccine distribution, and post-COVID-19 vaccine distribution). Descriptive statistics were calculated and two-tailed t-tests were performed between the pre-vaccine and the post-vaccine phases. Linear regression analysis was also performed to determine percent deflection of search terms. There was significantly greater interest in facial aesthetic procedure search terms, except for tear trough filler, during the post-COVID-19 vaccine phase compared with the pre-COVID-19 vaccine phase. There was greater interest in lower facial procedure interest during this phase compared with upper facial procedures (p-value = 0.0011). The search terms with the greatest deflection percentage during the post-vaccine phase were lip filler, brow lift, and lip flip. There continues to be high demands of facial plastic surgery and procedures despite COVID-19 pandemic.


2021 ◽  
Vol 111 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Olivova ◽  
Bibi N. Singh ◽  
Dominick J. Casciato

Background Google Trends proves to be a novel tool to ascertain the level of public interest in pathology and treatments. From anticipating nascent epidemics with data-driven prevention campaigns to identifying interest in cosmetic or bariatric surgery, Google Trends provides physicians real-time insight into the latest consumer trends. Methods We used Google Trends to identify temporal trends and variation in the search volume index of four groups of keywords that assessed practitioner-nomenclature inquiries, in addition to podiatric-specific searches for pain, traumatic injury, and common podiatric pathology over a 10-year period. The Mann-Kendall trend test was used to determine a trend in the series, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to determine whether there was a significant difference between summer and winter season inquiries. Significance was set at P ≤ .05. Results The terms “podiatrist” and “foot doctor” experienced increasing Search Volume Index (SVI) and seasonal variation, whereas the terms “foot surgeon” and “podiatric surgeon” experienced no such increase. “Foot pain,” “heel pain,” “toe pain,” and “ankle pain” experienced a significant increase in SVI, with “foot pain” maintaining the highest SVI at all times. Similar results were seen with the terms “foot fractures,” “bunion,” “ingrown toenail,” and “heel spur.” These terms all experienced statistically significant increasing trends; moreover, the SVI was significantly higher in the summer than in the winter for each of these terms. Conclusions The results of this study show the utility in illustrating seasonal variation in Internet interest of pathologies today's podiatrist commonly encounters. By identifying the popularity and seasonal variation of practitioner- and pathology-specific search inquiries, resources can be allocated to effectively address current public inquiries. With this knowledge, providers can learn what podiatric-specific interests are trending in their local communities and market their practice accordingly throughout the year.


Author(s):  
Magdalena Sycinska-Dziarnowska ◽  
Iwona Paradowska-Stankiewicz

Background: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic may lead to changes in the dental needs of the population and new challenges concerning oral health care. Methods: The Google Trends tool was used to collect data on the Internet search interest. The investigated material was collected from 1 January 2020 to 23 August 2020. Search terms “toothache”, “dentist” and “stay at home” were retrieved for the whole world as well as for the US, the UK, Poland, Italy and Sweden. Results: During the lockdown, correlation analysis indicates the lowest public interest in the word “dentist” one week preceding the peak for “toothache”, followed by an increase in the word search for “dentist”. On 12 April, worldwide, the maximum of Google Trends Relative Search Volume (RSV) for “toothache” was observed. Conclusion: Decrease in “dentist” queries during lockdown followed by an increase in “toothache” search predicts greater dental needs in the post-pandemic period. The surveillance shows significant changes in queries for dental-related terms during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to prepare for future pandemic outbreaks teledentistry programs should be taken into consideration.


Author(s):  
Jacopo Ciaffi ◽  
Riccardo Meliconi ◽  
Maria Paola Landini ◽  
Luana Mancarella ◽  
Veronica Brusi ◽  
...  

Background: E-health tools have been used to assess the temporal variations of different health problems. The aim of our infodemiology study was to investigate the seasonal pattern of search volumes for back pain in Italy. Methods: In Italian, back pain is indicated by the medical word “lombalgia”. Using Google Trends, we selected the three search terms related to “lombalgia” with higher relative search volumes (RSV), (namely, “mal di schiena”, “dolore alla schiena” and “dolore lombare”), representing the semantic preferences of users when performing web queries for back pain in Italy. Wikipedia page view statistics were used to identify the number of visits to the page “lombalgia”. Strength and direction of secular trends were assessed using the Mann–Kendall test. Cosinor analysis was used to evaluate the potential seasonality of back pain-related RSV. Results: We found a significant upward secular trend from 2005 to 2020 for search terms “mal di schiena” (τ = 0.734, p < 0.0001), “dolore alla schiena” (τ = 0.713, p < 0.0001) and “dolore lombare” (τ = 0.628, p < 0.0001). Cosinor analysis on Google Trends RSV showed a significant seasonality for the terms “mal di schiena” (pcos < 0.001), “dolore alla schiena” (pcos < 0.0001), “dolore lombare” (pcos < 0.0001) and “lombalgia” (pcos = 0.017). Cosinor analysis performed on views for the page “lombalgia” in Wikipedia confirmed a significant seasonality (pcos < 0.0001). Both analyses demonstrated a peak of interest in winter months and decrease in spring/summer. Conclusions: Our infodemiology approach revealed significant seasonal fluctuations in search queries for back pain in Italy, with peaking volumes during the coldest months of the year.


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