Assessing the national burden of allergic asthma by web-search data, pollen counts, and drug prescriptions in Germany and Sweden

Abstract

BackgroundAsthma and its main phenotype allergic asthma are prevalent, chronic, and complex diseases affecting 4% of the population. One main trigger for allergic asthma exacerbations is pollen. Online health information search behavior by people is increasing, and analysis of web-search data can provide valuable insight into disease burden and risk factors of a population. ObjectivesWe sought to perform a web-search data analysis and correlation to climate factors and pollen in 2 European countries. MethodsWe analyzed the national web-search volume for allergic asthma-related keywords in Germany and Sweden from 2018 to 2021 and correlated it to local pollen counts, climatic factors, and drug prescription rates. ResultsPer capita, more searches were conducted in Sweden than in Germany. A complex geographic stratification within the countries was observed. Search results were seasonal with a peak in spring and correlated with pollen counts in both countries. However, anti-asthmatic drug prescription rates in Sweden, as well as temperature and precipitation in both countries, did not correlate with search volume. ConclusionOur analysis offers population-level insights about this complex disease by reporting its needs and establishing the correlation to pollen counts, which enables a targeted approach in the public health management of allergic asthma. Local pollen counts, as opposed to temperature or precipitation, might be good predictors of allergic asthma disease burden.