Seasonal variation in the internet searches for gout: an ecological study

Abstract

Introduction/objectiveWhile few studies with various types of outcomes and methodology have investigated the seasonality of gout, no internet data has been used in any study. This novel methodology may complement and extend the previous traditional data sources and has increasingly been used in investigating the seasonality of health conditions. Therefore, the objective of this study was to utilize the Google Trends data to test whether there is a seasonal variation in the internet searches for gout on a population basis.MethodsIn this observational ecological study, the Google Trends was searched for the [gout] within the USA, the UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand from January 01, 2004, to December 31, 2017, utilizing the health category.ResultsThe cosinor analyses revealed a statistically significant seasonal variation in relative search volume of the [gout] in the USA, the UK (p<0.001), Canada (p<0.001), Ireland (p<0.001), Australia (p<0.001), and New Zealand (p<0.001), with a peak in the late spring/early summer months and trough in the late fall/early winter months. The peaks in late spring/early summer and troughs in late fall/early winter were out of phase by 6months in the northern compared to the southern hemisphere countries.ConclusionAnother line of evidence from internet search query data showed a seasonal variation in gout, with a peak in the late spring/early summer months. Further studies aimed at elucidating the possible mechanisms behind seasonality in gout are needed.