Google searches indicate varying food allergy interests worldwide
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Key takeaways:
- Searches for peanut allergy increased in 2021 and 2022.
- Searches for milk allergy spiked in 2021 and 2022.
- Searches for shellfish allergy mostly occurred in the Philippines and Singapore.
The volume of Google searches related to food allergy grew between 2012 and 2022, with specific search topics varying by country, according to a letter published in Clinical and Translational Allergy.
These variations may be useful for policymakers and guideline developers, Iván Chérrez Ojeda, MD, MSc, PhD, medical director, Respiralab Research Group, Guayaquil, Ecuador, and colleagues wrote.
“The high and increasing prevalence of food allergies prompted us to investigate people’s information-seeking behavior about the most common allergens and how it changes over time,” Chérrez Ojeda told Healio.
“Google’s search engine has become an important source of medical information,” he continued. “However, this information varies in quality, so it is important to explore what information people are seeking.”
The researchers used Google Trends, which provides historical data about Google searches, to examine data about searches for “milk allergy,” “peanut allergy” and “shellfish allergy” among other topics in 10 countries between Jan. 1, 2012, and Dec. 31, 2022.
Based on relative search volume, searches for “food allergy” grew during the decade across all 10 countries.
“Over the years, there has been a noticeable growth in people’s interest in searching about ‘food allergy’ as a topic of search, as evidenced by increased Google search trends from 2012 to 2022,” Chérrez Ojeda said.
Overall interest in peanut allergy was relatively low, the researchers said, but there were increases in searches in Australia, the United States, Finland, the Netherlands and New Zealand in 2021 and 2022. Interest in peanut allergy fell in Canada, Hungary, Ireland and the Philippines.
The most searched topic in six of the countries was milk allergy, with a sharp spike beginning in 2021 in Canada, the U.S. and Australia.
The researchers said this spike may have been due to a U.K. study indicating that cow’s milk allergy may be the cause of three-quarters of the multiple allergic symptoms experienced by infants before age 1 year.
Also, the researchers said, the hospitalizations and deaths of infants in the U.S. resulting from contaminated Abbott baby formula products in May 2022 might have driven this spike.
“Our results show how external factors happening in a single country may have influenced the frequency of research of a topic in all of the countries included in this study,” Chérrez Ojeda said.
“Shellfish allergy” had the lowest relative search volume, primarily coming from the Philippines and Singapore. The researchers noted that the prevalence of shellfish allergy is much higher in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly among teenagers.
Different terms and definitions for allergy including “allergy,” “allergies,” “food allergy” and “peanut allergy” were the related terms with the most interest.
“Rash,” “eczema,” “urticaria” and “anaphylaxis” were the most searched signs and symptoms, and the United States accounted for the most searches for signs and symptoms in relation to shellfish.
Also, the researchers characterized interest in diseases related to milk allergy such as “lactose intolerance,” “dairy intolerance” and “celiac disease” as high.
Ireland and Hungary accounted for the highest interest in diagnostic methods, including searches for “food allergy test” and “food intolerance testing.”
Age-related searches included “baby” and “toddler,” with “baby” among the top five searches in eight of the 10 countries.
The top searches pertaining to therapy in the Philippines included “epinephrine,” “immunoglobulin,” “cetirizine” and “antihistamine.”
Other notable searches among all 10 countries included “almond milk” and “soy milk” among queries about food alternatives and “epinephrine.”
These findings indicate Google Trends’ potential for determining public interest in food allergies and how that interest may change, the researchers said, which could inform future policy and guidelines.
“Our results could help policymakers who create ideas and plans to develop better national and international strategies according to the patient’s needs,” Chérrez Ojeda said.
Also, Chérrez Ojeda advised physicians to provide information about these topics directly to their patients so they can avoid misinformation online. These discussions can take place during prenatal visits and pediatric care as well.
Professional organizations also may benefit from these findings, he continued.
“Our findings can help allergy societies to provide information based on what patients want to know,” he said.
Chérrez Ojeda and his colleagues are now preparing new research about how physicians can better communicate with patients through information and communication technologies, especially with mobile health apps.
“Furthermore, we are considering repeating this methodology on health care professionals due to actual ongoing studies which revealed that less than 50% of physicians use technologies such as artificial intelligence in their everyday practice,” he said.
For more information:
Iván Chérrez Ojeda, MD, MSc, PhD, can be reached at ivancherrez@gmail.com.
Perspective
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This study’s findings align with the general trend of increased reliance on online sources for health information. Patients often turn to the internet to seek information about medical conditions, symptoms and treatments even before seeking advice from a health care provider.
These findings are significant because although there is a general understanding that patients have increasingly turned to online sources for information on health topics, this study shows just how much those topics can fluctuate.
The fluctuation is important to note because it alerts organizations that there is a need to stay up to date with trends in, specific to this case, the allergy community. By understanding what people are interested in searching and learning, public health campaigns can be designed and geared to those topics to increase awareness and knowledge.
Doctors also can use these findings to enhance patient education and communication. Recognizing the specific allergens and symptoms patients are searching for can guide health care professionals in providing targeted information during consultations. Also, increased awareness of online trends can help doctors address common concerns and tailor their advice to patients’ specific needs.
Additionally, doctors should discuss the quality of online information with their patients. Providing guidance on reliable sources and cautioning against misinformation ensures patients make informed decisions about their health. This should also be encouraged because having open communication between providers and patients can foster a collaborative approach to health care. We can see that patients are turning online for health information no matter what, so it is best that providers take the time to explain the importance of finding reliable and trustworthy medically accurate information online.
The next step in this research could be exploring the correlation between online search trends and actual clinical cases and outcomes. This could include investigating the impact of online information on patient behavior, adherence to medical advice and decision-making. Another step could be using certain tools to assess the effectiveness of targeted online health campaigns based on search trends in improving public awareness and behavior related to food allergies.
Overall, these findings are significant for improving patient care, doctors should leverage these insights to enhance communication and education, discussing online information quality with patients is crucial, and future research could explore the practical implications of online search trends in health care.
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