scholarly journals General Public’s Information-Seeking Patterns of Topics Related to Obesity: Google Trends Analysis (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aditya S Pawar ◽  
Sajan Nagpal ◽  
Neha Pawar ◽  
Lilach O Lerman ◽  
Alfonso Eirin
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
Search Term ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Entire Study ◽  
Awareness Campaigns ◽  
Prevalence Of Obesity ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Over Time

BACKGROUND Obesity is a major public health challenge, and recent literature sheds light on the concept of “normalization” of obesity. OBJECTIVE We aimed to study the worldwide pattern of web-based information seeking by public on obesity and on its related terms and topics using Google Trends. METHODS We compared the relative frequency of obesity-related search terms and topics between 2004 and 2019 on Google Trends. The mean relative interest scores for these terms over the 4-year quartiles were compared. RESULTS The mean relative interest score of the search term “obesity” consistently decreased with time in all four quartiles (2004-2019), whereas the relative interest scores of the search topics “weight loss” and “abdominal obesity” increased. The topic “weight loss” was popular during the month of January, and its median relative interest score for January was higher than that for other months for the entire study period (<i>P</i>&lt;.001). The relative interest score for the search term “obese” decreased over time, whereas those scores for the terms “body positivity” and “self-love” increased after 2013. CONCLUSIONS Despite a worldwide increase in the prevalence of obesity, its popularity as an internet search term diminished over time. The reason for peaks in months should be explored and applied to the awareness campaigns for better effectiveness. These patterns suggest normalization of obesity in society and a rise of public curiosity about image-related obesity rather than its medical implications and harm.

scholarly journals General Public’s Information-Seeking Patterns of Topics Related to Obesity: Google Trends Analysis

10.2196/20923 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. e20923 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aditya S Pawar ◽  
Sajan Nagpal ◽  
Neha Pawar ◽  
Lilach O Lerman ◽  
Alfonso Eirin
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
Search Term ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Entire Study ◽  
Awareness Campaigns ◽  
Prevalence Of Obesity ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Over Time

Background Obesity is a major public health challenge, and recent literature sheds light on the concept of “normalization” of obesity. Objective We aimed to study the worldwide pattern of web-based information seeking by public on obesity and on its related terms and topics using Google Trends. Methods We compared the relative frequency of obesity-related search terms and topics between 2004 and 2019 on Google Trends. The mean relative interest scores for these terms over the 4-year quartiles were compared. Results The mean relative interest score of the search term “obesity” consistently decreased with time in all four quartiles (2004-2019), whereas the relative interest scores of the search topics “weight loss” and “abdominal obesity” increased. The topic “weight loss” was popular during the month of January, and its median relative interest score for January was higher than that for other months for the entire study period (P<.001). The relative interest score for the search term “obese” decreased over time, whereas those scores for the terms “body positivity” and “self-love” increased after 2013. Conclusions Despite a worldwide increase in the prevalence of obesity, its popularity as an internet search term diminished over time. The reason for peaks in months should be explored and applied to the awareness campaigns for better effectiveness. These patterns suggest normalization of obesity in society and a rise of public curiosity about image-related obesity rather than its medical implications and harm.

scholarly journals Three months of informational trends in COVID-19 across New York City

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 448-450
Author(s):  
Wil Lieberman-Cribbin ◽  
Naomi Alpert ◽  
Adam Gonzalez ◽  
Rebecca M Schwartz ◽  
Emanuela Taioli
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
York City ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
New York State ◽  
Search Term ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Trend Data ◽  
Over Time

Abstract In the midst of widespread community transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in New York, residents have sought information about COVID-19. We analyzed trends in New York State (NYS) and New York City (NYC) data to quantify the extent of COVID-19-related queries. Data on the number of 311 calls in NYC, Google Trend data on the search term ‘Coronavirus’ and information about trends in COVID-19 cases in NYS and the USA were compiled from multiple sources. There were 1228 994 total calls to 311 between 22 January 2020 and 22 April 2020, with 50 845 calls specific to COVID-19 in the study period. The proportion of 311 calls related to COVID-19 increased over time, while the ‘interest over time’ of the search term ‘Coronavirus’ has exponentially increased since the end of February 2020. It is vital that public health officials provide clear and up-to-date information about protective measures and crucial communications to respond to information-seeking behavior across NYC.

scholarly journals Public Awareness of Uterine Power Morcellation Through US Food and Drug Administration Communications: Analysis of Google Trends Search Term Patterns (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren N Wood ◽  
Juzar Jamnagerwalla ◽  
Melissa A Markowitz ◽  
D Joseph Thum ◽  
Philip McCarty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Minimally Invasive ◽  
Drug Administration ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Food And Drug Administration ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
Search Term ◽  
Search Volume ◽  
Power Morcellation ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Google Search

BACKGROUND Uterine power morcellation, where the uterus is shred into smaller pieces, is a widely used technique for removal of uterine specimens in patients undergoing minimally invasive abdominal hysterectomy or myomectomy. Complications related to power morcellation of uterine specimens led to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) communications in 2014 ultimately recommending against the use of power morcellation for women undergoing minimally invasive hysterectomy. Subsequently, practitioners drastically decreased the use of morcellation. OBJECTIVE We aimed to determine the effect of increased patient awareness on the decrease in use of the morcellator. Google Trends is a public tool that provides data on temporal patterns of search terms, and we correlated this data with the timing of the FDA communication. METHODS Weekly relative search volume (RSV) was obtained from Google Trends using the term “morcellation.” Higher RSV corresponds to increases in weekly search volume. Search volumes were divided into 3 groups: the 2 years prior to the FDA communication, a 1-year period following, and thereafter, with the distribution of the weekly RSV over the 3 periods tested using 1-way analysis of variance. Additionally, we analyzed the total number of websites containing the term “morcellation” over this time. RESULTS The mean RSV prior to the FDA communication was 12.0 (SD 15.8), with the RSV being 60.3 (SD 24.7) in the 1-year after and 19.3 (SD 5.2) thereafter (P<.001). The mean number of webpages containing the term “morcellation” in 2011 was 10,800, rising to 18,800 during 2014 and 36,200 in 2017. CONCLUSIONS Google search activity about morcellation of uterine specimens increased significantly after the FDA communications. This trend indicates an increased public awareness regarding morcellation and its complications. More extensive preoperative counseling and alteration of surgical technique and clinician practice may be necessary.

scholarly journals Diet and Multiple Sclerosis: Scoping Review of Web-Based Recommendations (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey M Beckett ◽  
Marie-Louise Bird ◽  
Jane K Pittaway ◽  
Kiran DK Ahuja
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Saturated Fat ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
Dietary Advice ◽  
Search Term ◽  
Omega 3 ◽  
Web Based

BACKGROUND There is currently no scientific evidence supporting the use of specific diets in the management of multiple sclerosis (MS); the strongest dietary associations are observed with vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acid supplementation. Despite this, there are many websites that provide advice or suggestions about using various dietary approaches to control symptoms or disease progression. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to assess the dietary advice for the symptomatic management of MS available on the internet. METHODS This study was a systematic review of webpages that provided dietary advice for the management of MS. Webpages were selected from an internet search conducted in November 2016 using Google, Yahoo, and Bing search engines and the search term “MS diet.” The first two pages of results from each search engine were included for the initial assessment. Duplicates were removed. Data extracted from websites included specific advice relating to diet and its rationale and the citation of supporting scientific literature. Authorship and credential information were reviewed to assess webpage quality. RESULTS We included 32 webpages in the final assessment. The webpages made a wide variety of specific recommendations regarding dietary patterns and individual foods to help manage MS. The most common dietary pattern advised on these webpages was the low-fat, high-fiber balanced diet, followed by the low-saturated fat diet, near-vegetarian Swank diet, and the Paleo diet. The main categories of individual foods or nutrients suggested for addition to the diet were: supplements (especially omega-3 and vitamin D), fruits, vegetables, and lean protein. In contrast, the most commonly recommended for removal were saturated fats, dairy, gluten-containing grains, and refined sugar. These recommendations were often accompanied by rationale relating to how the particular food or nutrient may affect the development, prevalence and symptoms of MS; however, very little of this information is supported by the current scientific evidence between diet and MS. Only 9 webpages provided full authorship including credential information. CONCLUSIONS There is a wide variety of Web-based dietary advice, which in some cases is contradictory. In most cases, this advice is the result of peoples’ individual experiences and has not been scientifically tested. How people living with MS use this information is not known. These findings highlight the important role health professionals can play in assisting people living with MS in their health information-seeking behaviors.

scholarly journals Intervention Enhancement Strategies Among Adults With Type 2 Diabetes in a Very Low–Carbohydrate Web-Based Program: Evaluating the Impact With a Randomized Trial

JMIR Diabetes ◽  
10.2196/15835 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. e15835
Author(s):  
Laura R Saslow ◽  
Judith Tedlie Moskowitz ◽  
Ashley E Mason ◽  
Jennifer Daubenmier ◽  
Bradley Liestenfeltz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Weight Loss ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Text Messages ◽  
Self Monitoring ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Low Carbohydrate ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Diet And Lifestyle

Background Adults with type 2 diabetes may experience health benefits, including glycemic control and weight loss, from following a very low–carbohydrate, ketogenic (VLC) diet. However, it is unclear which ancillary strategies may enhance these effects. Objective This pilot study aims to estimate the effect sizes of 3 intervention enhancement strategies (text messages, gifts, and breath vs urine ketone self-monitoring) that may improve outcomes of a 12-month web-based ad libitum VLC diet and lifestyle intervention for adults with type 2 diabetes. The primary intervention also included other components to improve adherence and well-being, including positive affect and mindfulness as well as coaching. Methods Overweight or obese adults (n=44; BMI 25-45 kg/m2) with type 2 diabetes (glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c] ≥6.5%), who had been prescribed either no glucose-lowering medications or metformin alone, participated in a 12-month web-based intervention. Using a 2×2×2 randomized factorial design, we compared 3 enhancement strategies: (1) near-daily text messages about the intervention’s recommended behaviors (texts n=22 vs no texts n=22), (2) mailed gifts of diet-relevant foods and cookbooks (6 rounds of mailed gifts n=21 vs no gifts n=23), and (3) urine- or breath-based ketone self-monitoring (urine n=21 vs breath n=23). We assessed HbA1c and weight at baseline and at 4, 8, and 12 months. We evaluated whether each strategy exerted a differential impact on HbA1c and weight at 12 months against an a priori threshold of Cohen d of 0.5 or greater. Results We retained 73% (32/44) of the participants at 12 months. The intervention, across all conditions, led to improvements in glucose control and reductions in body weight at the 12-month follow-up. In intent-to-treat (ITT) analyses, the mean HbA1c reduction was 1.0% (SD 1.6) and the mean weight reduction was 5.3% (SD 6.0), whereas among study completers, these reductions were 1.2% (SD 1.7) and 6.3% (SD 6.4), respectively, all with a P value of less than .001. In ITT analyses, no enhancement strategy met the effect size threshold. Considering only study completers, 2 strategies showed a differential effect size of at least a d value of 0.5 or greater Conclusions Text messages, gifts of food and cookbooks, and urine-based ketone self-monitoring may potentially enhance the glycemic or weight loss benefits of a web-based VLC diet and lifestyle intervention for individuals with type 2 diabetes. Future research could investigate other enhancement strategies to help create even more effective solutions for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02676648; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02676648

scholarly journals Intervention Enhancement Strategies Among Adults With Type 2 Diabetes in a Very Low–Carbohydrate Web-Based Program: Evaluating the Impact With a Randomized Trial (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura R Saslow ◽  
Judith Tedlie Moskowitz ◽  
Ashley E Mason ◽  
Jennifer Daubenmier ◽  
Bradley Liestenfeltz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Weight Loss ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Text Messages ◽  
Self Monitoring ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Low Carbohydrate ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Diet And Lifestyle

BACKGROUND Adults with type 2 diabetes may experience health benefits, including glycemic control and weight loss, from following a very low–carbohydrate, ketogenic (VLC) diet. However, it is unclear which ancillary strategies may enhance these effects. OBJECTIVE This pilot study aims to estimate the effect sizes of 3 intervention enhancement strategies (text messages, gifts, and breath vs urine ketone self-monitoring) that may improve outcomes of a 12-month web-based <i>ad libitum</i> VLC diet and lifestyle intervention for adults with type 2 diabetes. The primary intervention also included other components to improve adherence and well-being, including positive affect and mindfulness as well as coaching. METHODS Overweight or obese adults (n=44; BMI 25-45 kg/m<sup>2</sup>) with type 2 diabetes (glycated hemoglobin [HbA<sub>1c</sub>] ≥6.5%), who had been prescribed either no glucose-lowering medications or metformin alone, participated in a 12-month web-based intervention. Using a 2×2×2 randomized factorial design, we compared 3 enhancement strategies: (1) near-daily text messages about the intervention’s recommended behaviors (texts n=22 vs no texts n=22), (2) mailed gifts of diet-relevant foods and cookbooks (6 rounds of mailed gifts n=21 vs no gifts n=23), and (3) urine- or breath-based ketone self-monitoring (urine n=21 vs breath n=23). We assessed HbA<sub>1c</sub> and weight at baseline and at 4, 8, and 12 months. We evaluated whether each strategy exerted a differential impact on HbA<sub>1c</sub> and weight at 12 months against an a priori threshold of Cohen <i>d</i> of 0.5 or greater. RESULTS We retained 73% (32/44) of the participants at 12 months. The intervention, across all conditions, led to improvements in glucose control and reductions in body weight at the 12-month follow-up. In intent-to-treat (ITT) analyses, the mean HbA<sub>1c</sub> reduction was 1.0% (SD 1.6) and the mean weight reduction was 5.3% (SD 6.0), whereas among study completers, these reductions were 1.2% (SD 1.7) and 6.3% (SD 6.4), respectively, all with a <i>P</i> value of less than .001. In ITT analyses, no enhancement strategy met the effect size threshold. Considering only study completers, 2 strategies showed a differential effect size of at least a <i>d</i> value of 0.5 or greater CONCLUSIONS Text messages, gifts of food and cookbooks, and urine-based ketone self-monitoring may potentially enhance the glycemic or weight loss benefits of a web-based VLC diet and lifestyle intervention for individuals with type 2 diabetes. Future research could investigate other enhancement strategies to help create even more effective solutions for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02676648; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02676648

scholarly journals A web-based intervention is feasible for supporting weight loss and increased activity in rural women with arthritis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia A. Hageman ◽  
Christine Eisenhauer ◽  
Joseph E. Mroz ◽  
Rebecca Johnson Beller
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Rural Women ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
Underserved Population ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Lower Weight ◽  
Prevalence Of Obesity ◽  
Recorded Data ◽  
Increased Activity

Rural women have well documented health disparities, with higher prevalence of obesity and chronic conditions, including arthritis. Change in weight and actigraph-recorded data were examined in a subset of 63 of 82 women with physician-diagnosed arthritis who completed a 30-month web-based clinical trial. Repeated measures analyses showed women lost weight from baseline to six months, slowly regained at 18 and 30 months, ending with a lower weight than baseline F(1,62)=40.89, p < .001, η2p =.40. Of 53 women with complete data, activity increased at six months, decreased at 18 months, and increased at 30 months F(1,52)=4.14, p =.04, η2p=.07. Women showed improved change in weight and activity from baseline at six, 18 and 30 months. This study adds support that web-based programs may promote weight loss and activity in a hard-to-reach, underserved population of midlife and older rural women with arthritis.  

scholarly journals “Dr. Google, I am in Pain”—Global Internet Searches Associated with Pain: A Retrospective Analysis of Google Trends Data

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 954 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikołaj Kamiński ◽  
Igor Łoniewski ◽  
Wojciech Marlicz
Keyword(s):  
Abdominal Pain ◽  
Back Pain ◽  
Seasonal Variations ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
Search Term ◽  
Search Volume ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Internet Searches ◽  
Relative Search Volume ◽  
Over Time

We aimed to rank the most common locations of pain among Google users globally and locally and analyze secular and seasonal trends in pain-related searches in the years 2004–2019. We used data generated by Google Trends (GT) to identify and analyze global interest in topics (n = 24) related to locations of pain and how these progressed over time. We analyzed secular trends and time series decomposition to identify seasonal variations. We also calculated the interest in all topics with reference to the relative search volume (RSV) of “Abdominal pain”. Google users were most commonly interested in “Headache” (1.30 [times more frequently than “Abdominal pain”]), “Abdominal pain” (1.00), and “Back pain” (0.84). “Headache” was the most frequent search term in n = 41 countries, while “Abdominal pain” was the most frequent term in n = 27 countries. The interest in all pain-related topics except “Dyspareunia” increased over time. The sharpest increase was observed for “Abdominal pain” (5.67 RSV/year), and “Toothache” (5.52 RSV/year). Most of the topics revealed seasonal variations. Among pain-related topics, “Headache,” “Abdominal pain,” and “Back pain” interested most Google users. GT is a novel tool that allows retrospective investigation of complaints among Internet users.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrom in Three Urban Communities of Dhaka City

1970 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 44-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shurovi Sayeed ◽  
Akhter Banu ◽  
Parvin Akter Khanam ◽  
Sharmina Alauddin ◽  
Sabrina Makbul ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Syndrome ◽  
Urban Communities ◽  
Plasma Glucose ◽  
Fasting Plasma Glucose ◽  
Urban Population ◽  
Population Characteristics ◽  
Dhaka City ◽  
Fasting Plasma ◽  
Prevalence Of Obesity ◽  
The Mean

Bangladeshis are prone to develop type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypertension (sHTN and dHTN) and atherosclerotic heart diseases, observed more predominantly in the urban population. Though metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a related disorder, there are few studies in this regard. The prevalence of obesity, T2DM and MetS in three urban communities of Bangladesh were addressed in this study. Nine hundred non-slum urban households in three Dhaka City Wards were randomly selected. One member (age ≥ 25y) from each household was invited for investigation with an overnight fast. Socio-demographic information as well as height, weight, waist-girth, hip-girth and blood pressure were measured. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), total cholesterol (chol), triglycerides (TG) and high-density lipoproteins-c (HDL) were estimated. A total of 705 (m / f = 239 / 466) subjects volunteered for the study. The mean value with 95% confidence interval (CI) of age was 42.4 (40.9 - 43.1) years for men and 37.8 (36.8 - 38.7) for women. The mean (CI) body mass index (BMI) was 21.0 (20.6 - 21.5) and 22.6 (22.2 - 22.9) and waist hip ratio (WHR) was 0.84 (0.83 - 0.84) and 0.82 (0.81 - 0.83), respectively for men and women. The mean (CI) FPG (fasting plasma glucose) was 5.5 (5.2 - 5.7) for men and 5.2 (5.0 - 5.4) for women. The prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥ 25.0) was 21%, T2DM (FPG ≥ 6.1 mmol/l) was 22.2%, triglyceridemia (TG ≥ 150mg/dl) was 45.1% and low HDL-c (HDL<40mg/ dl) was 43.8%. The crude prevalence of MetS varied based on different cluster combinations, being the lowest (0.3%) recommended by WHO cluster (FPG + BMI + SBP/DBP) and the highest (8.7%) by International Diabetes Federation (IDF) cluster (waist + FPG + HDL). The MetS was found higher in male than female by NCEP criteria and higher in female than male by IDF criteria. The study revealed an increased prevalence of obesity, T2DM and MetS in the urban communities. It also revealed that T2DM and MetS are moderately common and of growing healthcare burden in the rapidly growing urban population. Additionally, the study observed the wide ranging prevalence rates of MetS in the same study population indicating the need to establish a consistent and useful MetS-cluster depending on population characteristics. Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2008; 2(2): 44-48 Key Words: Metabolic syndrome, urban, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia   doi: 10.3329/imcj.v2i2.2936

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