Search Volume Index Research Articles

Following the Trend: A Comparative Analysis of Public Engagement and Funding for Annual Prostate and Breast Cancer Campaigns Using Google Trends.

Google Trends (Google Inc., USA) is a web-based service that offers data on the time and volume of Google Internet searches. We used Google Trends to identify increases in search traffic caused by cancer campaigns, which are held in October and November each year for breast cancer (BC) and prostate cancer (PC), respectively, in our region. We investigated whether this increase in search traffic coincided with increased research funding or public donations. Google searches for PC were compared and scaled against searches for BC from January 2010 to December 2021. The month with the highest volume of search hits for either term was given a relative search volume index of 100. All other months for both search terms were scaled against this index of 100. The degree of government research spending and public donations were contrasted against search traffic. Search volume increased for both campaign months (49% for BC in October, 5% for PC in November). The mean relative search volume for each campaign's specific month was 72.6 for BC, 18.4 for PC; mean difference of 50.75 (95% confidence interval=42.7-58.8, p<0.001). Annual mean (±standard deviation) expenditure of Government research grants was $22.2 million (± $1.5 million) for BC and $9.7 million (± $2.9 million) for PC with a mean difference of $12.5 million (95% confidence interval=$10.5-14.6 million, p<0.001). The BC campaign resulted in a statistically significant increase in search traffic compared to that for PC and correlated with statistically significant increases in research spending. Google Trends offers a method of evaluating cancer campaign efficacy and public interest.

Retail attention and the FOMC equity premium

We build a new measure of investors’ attention around FOMC announcements by employing the Google Search Volume Index. Our measure shows that investors’ attention contributes and heightens the FOMC equity premium and reduces the volatility around the announcement. Although, we don't claim causality we find that active attention gathers around the announcement the day before, remains constant around the event and drops just afterwards, consistent with the resolution of uncertainty.

Growth … What growth?

This study focuses on economic turmoil in the UK between 06September and 19October2022 consequent on a “mini budget” announced by the then Chancellor. Contrary to pre-announcement growth expectations, UK firms lost about 0.30% in daily excess returns and £0.87 million in market value. UK's “Moron Risk Premium” increased by 0.48%. Analyses with Google Search Volume Index support this devastating effect on companies. Durables, construction, manufacturing, and wholesale & retail sectors were less affected by this economic turbulence. We concluded that the announced low-tax economic policy does not always convince markets of future growth, particularly during high inflation and political instability.

The Price and Volume Effects of Web Search COVID-19 on the Biotechnology Industry

&lt;p&gt;本文試圖探討新冠肺炎的網路搜索熱度是否會對生技產業產生衝擊，以臺灣所有上市生技公司為研究對象，樣本期間為2020年至2021年，使用Google趨勢所產生的Google搜尋量指標來衡量網絡搜尋熱度，首先研究臺灣新冠肺炎病例數是否會對生技產業的交易量產生影響，實證結果顯示臺灣新冠肺炎病例數並未對生技產業產生顯著關係，為進一步瞭解病例數對生技產業的關係，本文將臺灣新冠肺炎病例數細分為本土病例與境外移入病例深入探討，實證結果仍然顯示並不顯著，意謂臺灣新冠肺炎病例數並未能對生技產業的交易量產生影響，接著探討新冠肺炎的Google搜尋量指數(SVI)與生技產業交易量與報酬率之關係，實證結果發現，SVI與生技產業的交易量和報酬率呈現顯著關係，意謂Google搜尋量會預先於生技產業的交易量與報酬率發生變化。&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This paper discusses whether the popularity of web search COVID-19 could have an impact on the biotechnology industry. Using a sample of all listed biotechnology companies in Taiwan between 2020 and 2021, and measuring the popularity of web search by Google search volume index that generated by Google Trends. Firstly, researching whether the number of COVID-19 cases in Taiwan will have an impact on the trading volume of the biotech industry. The evidence shows that the number of COVID-19 cases in Taiwan does not have a significant relationship to the biotechnology industry. To further understand the relationship between the number of cases and the biotechnology industry, this paper subdivides the number of COVID-19 cases in Taiwan into domestic cases and imported cases, and the evidence still shows that they are insignificant. It implies that the number of COVID-19 cases in Taiwan won&amp;rsquo;t have an impact on the trading volume of the biotechnology industry. Secondly, this paper discusses the relationship between Google Search Volume Index (SVI) of COVID-19 and the trading volume and rate of return of the biotechnology industry, and the empirical results found that SVI has a significant relationship with the trading volume and rate of return of the biotechnology industry. It implies that Google search volume will change in advance of the trading volume and rate of return of the biotechnology industry.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

Global Online Interest in HIV/AIDS care Services in the time of COVID-19: A Google Trends Analysis.

The Covid-19 pandemic has compounded the challenge of HIV/AIDS elimination, creating difficulties in accessing HIV care services such as early testing and treatment. This paper characterized the global online interest in HIV care services-related search terms before and during the pandemic. Global online search interest for HIV was measured using the Google Trends™ database. Spearman's rank-order correlation correlated country-specific characteristics and HIV prevalence data with the search volume index (SVI). We found a significant decrease in the global online search interest for HIV/AIDS care services-related search terms during the Covid-19 pandemic. The top countries with the highest online interest for "HIV/AIDS" search terms were Zambia, Eswatini, Malawi, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe. In addition, search volume indices for HIV correlated positively with HIV prevalence and negatively with GDP, GDP per capita, and the number of physicians. This result highlights that resource-poor countries with a high prevalence of HIV have a high online interest in HIV/AIDS. Therefore, there is a need to improve internet access, the quality of HIV-related health information, and online health literacy to improve health-seeking behavior, especially in areas with a high disease burden. Overall, our study shows that the infodemiologic approach through Google Trends™ can be used to assess the online interest of the public toward HIV infection and related healthcare services.

Oil shocks and investor attention

In this paper, we examine the existence of sentiment exposure in oil price returns. We augment the SVAR model of Kilian and Park (International Economic Review, 2009, 50, 1267–1287) by including the effects of (1) investors sentiment proxied by Google’s search volume index, (2) economic policy uncertainty (EPU) and (3) time variation in both coefficients and the variance-covariance matrix. Our empirical results show that changes in investor attention do exhibit a significant long-lasting impact on oil and stock market returns. Aggregate oil demand and supply shocks have a transitory effect on investor sentiment. We reveal that the impact of EPU is temporary and significant, while EPU responds strongly to shocks on oil prices and stock market returns. In all cases, the magnitude and sign of responses are affected by the timing of the shock. Our findings are robust to an alternative sentiment indicator and once the role of oil inventories is considered.

An Analysis of Google Trends During COVID-19: Determining Public Urological Cancer Concerns.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic put a massive strain on the healthcare system as patients avoided the hospital, elective cases were postponed, and general medical anxiety was increased. We aimed to capture public interest in urological cancers during this massive shock to the medical field. Methodology A total of 12 keywords related to the three most prevalent urological cancers (prostate, bladder, and kidney) were searched using Google Trends from 2018 to 2022. The search volume index of these 12 keywords was extracted to assess public interest before and after the pandemic. Results There was a reduction in search volume for "prostate, bladder, and kidney cancer"and "kidney cancer treatment"after the postponement of elective surgeries. However, there was an increase insearch volume for "prostate, bladder, and kidney cancer survival rates"and "prostate cancer symptoms"after this period. There was no change in search volume for bladder cancer symptoms, bladder cancer treatment, or kidney cancer symptoms. Conclusions Public interest in urological cancers decreased after COVID, while interest in survival rates across all three cancers increased. Future research is needed to investigate the effects of changing priorities and delays in medical care on patients' experiences with urological cancers.

Attention and retail investor herding in cryptocurrency markets

We study how retail investor attention influences the joint evolution of cryptocurrency prices. The co-movement is measured using realized correlation and a R2-based measure. We find that rising attention as proxied by Google search volume indices or Twitter tweet counts Granger-causes an increase in price synchronicity of Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Monero. Hence, attention, in particular to Bitcoin, is a major driver of cryptocurrency prices. Mass attention and the resulting retail investor herding lead to different cryptocurrency prices moving more synchronously.

Investor Attention to Fossil Fuel Divestment Movement and Stock Returns

This study investigates whether the investor attention to the fossil fuel divestment (III.)) movement is related to the stock returns on firms involved in extracting fossil fuels. Three complementary indicators of investor attention to the FFD movement are considered: (1) the U.S. weekly Google Search Volume Index on the topic “fossil fuel divestment,” (2) the U.S. weekly media coverage of fossil fuel divestment, and (3) the number of weekly visits to the “fossil fuel divestment” page on Wikipedia. Based on a sample of weekly returns on 1,850 U.S. firms over the period 2012-2020, our econometric estimations report a positive relationship between investor attention to FFD and excess stock returns for U.S. fossil fuel-related firms. Therefore, contrary to what the FFD campaigners might expect, the stigmatization of the fossil fuel industry does not drive down the stock returns on fossil fuel-related firms.

The Interest in Permanent Contraception Peaked Following the Leaked Supreme Court Majority Opinion of Roe vs. Wade: A Cross-Sectional Google Trends Analysis

Introduction With the leaked Supreme Court draft regarding Roe vs. Wade, substantial public reactions followed as the horizon of abortion laws within the United States of America have been changing. We sought to compare internet searches for vasectomy and tubal ligation seven days following the leaked draft on May 2, 2022. Methods We used public data provided by Google Trends to investigate the interest and geographic distribution of searches for the two forms of permanent contraception: Vasectomyand tubal ligation. We calculated the mean Search Volume Index (SVI) of these terms. Data analysis was performed with Microsoft Excel Version 16.60 (Redmond, USA), and comparisons between groups were performed using paired t-tests. Results The term 'vasectomy' saw a 121% increase (p=0.0063), and 'tubal ligation' had a 70% (p=0.029) increase compared to the week prior. 49/50states had increased search inquiries for each term. However, the North and Southwestern regions of the U.S. had increased relative surge for vasectomyand the Midwest region for tubal ligationprocedures, respectively.South Dakota and Idaho, with trigger laws that banned abortion immediately following the overturn of Roe vs. Wade, had the greatest surge in SVI for tubal ligation and vasectomy, respectively. Conclusion Our study indicates that with the potential overturn of Roe vs. Wade, there was a significantly increased interest in these two forms of permanent contraception. Future studies should investigate specific concerns and questions patients may have when it comes to the different options of contraception.

Trend Analysis of Global Web Searches (2004–2022) on Oral Cancer and Its Major Risk Factors

Abstract Background Oral cancer is the 15th leading cause of mortality globally. The Internet is an online source of information pertaining to oral cancer and its major risk factors. This study aims to analyze the trend of global online interest on oral cancer and its major risk factors through an analysis of web searches of oral cancer. Materials and Methods This study analyzed the web searches conducted, from 2004 to January 2022, on oral cancer and its major risk factors (tobacco use, harmful alcohol use, and human papillomavirus [HPV] infection) using data obtained from Google Trends. Results Within the time frame under study, oral cancer had multiple peak search periods, with the highest relative search volume index (SVI) for a period being 1; the peak search period for alcohol was March 2020 (SVI = 100); the peak search periods for tobacco were March to April 2004 (SVI = 17); and the peak search period of HPV was April 2004 (SVI = 1). Globally, alcohol was the most common searched term among these four terms (oral cancer, alcohol, tobacco, and HPV) except in Turkey where tobacco was the most common (55%) searched term. The top 25 search queries for oral cancer, HPV, tobacco, and alcohol had SVI ranges of 22 to 100, 12 to 100, 28 to 100, and 18 to 100, respectively. From these search queries, it was observed that people have interest in oral cancer symptomatology, and the adverse effects of tobacco, alcohol, and HPV. Conclusion This study revealed an overall decline in the online interest on oral cancer and its major risk factors on a global scale.

Investor attention, Twitter uncertainty and cryptocurrency market amid the COVID-19 pandemic

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the impact of investor attention due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Twitter-based sentiment towards uncertainty and public sentiment on the performance of cryptocurrencies.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employ the simple linear regression, quantile regression (QR), the exponential generalised autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (EGARCH) model, and sentiment analysis to examine this phenomenon. The authors utilise the daily closing price of the 20 leading cryptocurrencies, the Google search volume index of the “Coronavirus” keyword, the Twitter-based economic uncertainty index, and textual data collected from the Reddit social media platform.FindingsThe results show that investor attention and Twitter uncertainty have a negative (positive) effect on cryptocurrency returns (volatility). The QR results indicate a heterogeneous effect of investor attention and Twitter economic uncertainty on cryptocurrency returns with a higher effect in the lower quantiles. The findings indicate that cryptocurrencies fail to act as a safe haven during this pandemic.Originality/valueThe study is amongst the very few studies that capture the impact of investor attention/sentiment due to COVID-19 on the performance of cryptocurrencies.

COVID-19 Infodemiology: Association Between Google Search and Vaccination in Malaysian Population.

BackgroundIn light of the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, vaccination is one of the most important defensive strategies in combating the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Vaccine hesitancy or anti-vaccination attitude has become a barrier to the nationwide vaccination program, potentially sabotaging the effectiveness of vaccination. Thus far, Google Trends (GT) has been used extensively for monitoring information-seeking behavior during the pandemic. We aimed to investigate the association between Google search, the vaccination rate, and the number of vaccinated and infected cases among the Malaysian population.Material and methodGT’s customizable geographic and temporal filters were applied to include results for predetermined keywords from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021. Both Malay and English languages were used to reflect the multi-racial and multi-lingual community in Malaysia. The search volume index (SVI) derived was compared with the numbers of vaccinated and infected cases which were extracted from the open-access database (COVIDNOW in Malaysia) within the same period. Both analyses were performed independently by two authors to ensure accuracy of the data extraction process. A descriptive analysis was used to compare GT analyses and the number of daily vaccinations and positive COVID-19 cases.ResultsThe information-seeking behavior in the public fluctuated from time to time. The interest surged during the initiation of vaccination program and upon the outbreak of COVID-19 in Malaysia. The surge in interest prior to the peak of vaccination rate also indicated that the public tended to get information online prior to getting the vaccines. ConclusionThis observational study illustrates the ability of GT to monitor the interest of vaccination among the Malaysian population during the pandemic. By monitoring the dynamic changes in Google Trends, healthcare authorities can get a glimpse of public perceptions such as attitude towards COVID-19 vaccine, hence potentially identify and stymie any dangerous online anti-vaccination rhetoric swiftly.

Decreased online hepatitis information seeking during the COVID-19 pandemic: an Infodemiology study.

SummaryIntroductionViral hepatitis remains a public health concern worldwide, mainly in developing countries. The public’s awareness and interest in viral hepatitis information are essential in preventing and controlling this disease. Infodemiology has been used as a surrogate to assess the general understanding of disease and measure public awareness of health topics. However, this analysis has not been applied to viral hepatitis. Thus, this study investigated the online global search interest for viral hepatitis in the last decade, focusing on the period before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsGlobal online search interest for hepatitis was measured using the Google Trends™ database. Spearman’s rank-order correlation correlated country-specific characteristics and prevalence data with search volume index.ResultsThere was a significant reduction in online search interest for hepatitis during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020). People searching for hepatitis are also interested in hepatitis vaccination. Search volume index is positively correlated with viral hepatitis and HIV prevalence and negatively correlated with GDP. This correlation mirrors the high burden of viral hepatitis in developing countries and their citizens’ desire to be informed about this disease.ConclusionsOur study found decreased global online interest in viral hepatitis during the pandemic. Moreover, higher online interest in hepatitis was observed in countries with a lower gross domestic product and high viral hepatitis and HIV prevalence. We demonstrated that global online interest toward viral hepatitis could be assessed through the infodemiologic approach using Google Trends™.

Netizens’ risk perception in new coronary pneumonia public health events: an analysis of spatiotemporal distribution and influencing factors

BackgroundInternet search volume reflects the level of Internet users’ risk perception during public health events. The Internet search volume index model, an algorithm of concentration of Internet users, and statistical analysis of popular topics on Weibo are used to analyze the effects of time, space, and space-time interaction. We conducted in-depth research on the characteristics of the spatial and temporal distribution of Internet users’ risk perceptions of public health events and the associated influential factors.MethodsWe analyzed the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of Internet users’ risk perception after the Wuhan “city closing” order during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We established five linear regression models according to different time periods and analyzed factors influencing Internet users’ risk perception by employing a Poisson and spatial distribution and topic modeling analysis.ResultsEconomy, education, health, and the degree of information disclosure affect Internet users’ risk perception significantly. Internet users’ risk perception conforms to the exponential distribution law in time and has periodic characteristics and stability trends. Additionally, Internet users’ average arrival rate dropped from week 1 to week 8 after the “city closing.” Internet users’ risk perception has a uniform distribution in space, economic and social development level distribution consistency, spatial agglomeration, and other characteristics. The results of the time-space interaction show that after 8 weeks of COVID-19, Internet search hot topics have become more stable, and Internet users’ information demand structure has become more rational.ConclusionsThe Internet search cycle of the COVID-19 event is synchronized with the evolution cycle of the epidemic. The physical risk of Internet users is at the top of the risk structure, focusing on the strong concern about the government’s ability to control COVID-19 and its future trend. The government should strengthen network management; seize the risk control focus of key time nodes, regional locations, and information content of online communication; actively adjust the information content supply; effectively control the rebound of Internet users’ risk perception; establish a data-driven, risk-aware intelligence system for internet users; and guide people to actively face and overcome the potential risks and threats of COVID-19.

203 Your pores and the outdoors: Investigating the association between pollution and inflammatory dermatological diseases

Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) is a type of pollutant ∼20 times smaller than human pores. Recent in-vitro and in-vivo studies have linked exposure to PM 2.5 to a variety of dermatologic conditions including atopic dermatitis, alopecia, and skin cancer. However, population based studies remain limited. This study investigates the association between PM 2.5 and 3 inflammatory conditions: atopic dermatitis (AD), hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) and psoriasis. We compared average PM 2.5 levels to Google Trends Search Volume Index (SVI) in U.S.

153 Wildfire air pollution is associated with increased eczema, acne, and itch queries on Google

Wildfires are increasing in intensity and frequency, and wildfire smoke has been shown to exacerbate atopic dermatitis and itch for patients at one tertiary care medical center in San Francisco, California.We hypothesized that the effects of wildfire air pollution on the skin could impact a larger population, as detected by trends in online searches. Information seeking behaviors on the internet can reflect shifts in population-level interests related to short-term events, such as episodes of poor air quality during California wildfires.We obtained daily environmental data, including particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration and smoke plume density score (0-3), for San Francisco during the wildfire season from June through November 2020 and the same months in 2016, as a negative control.We also collected search data for common skin symptoms and conditions from Google Trends, which provides a daily Search Volume Index (SVI) ranging from 0 to 100 (most interest) for each term.

Investor sentiments and stock markets during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study examines the relationship between positive and negative investor sentiments and stock market returns and volatility in Group of 20 countries using various methods, including panel regression with fixed effects, panel quantile regressions, a panel vector autoregression (PVAR) model, and country-specific regressions. We proxy for negative and positive investor sentiments using the Google Search Volume Index for terms related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and COVID-19 vaccine, respectively. Using weekly data from March 2020 to May 2021, we document significant relationships between positive and negative investor sentiments and stock market returns and volatility. Specifically, an increase in positive investor sentiment leads to an increase in stock returns while negative investor sentiment decreases stock returns at lower quantiles. The effect of investor sentiment on volatility is consistent across the distribution: negative sentiment increases volatility, whereas positive sentiment reduces volatility. These results are robust as they are corroborated by Granger causality tests and a PVAR model. The findings may have portfolio implications as they indicate that proxies for positive and negative investor sentiments seem to be good predictors of stock returns and volatility during the pandemic.

Googling “mental health” after mental health legislation and during the COVID-19 pandemic: an infodemiological study of public interest in mental health in the Philippines

Background Public interest in mental health in the Philippines can change after the Mental Health (MH) act approval and during the COVID-19 pandemic. To determine these changes, online searches in Google can be analyzed as an alternative measure. Aims To determine the trends of public interest in mental health before and after the MH act approval and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method Aggregated search volumes for mental health using the keyword, “Mental Health (Topic)” were gathered from Google Trends. Search volume indices (SVIs), and related queries were analyzed. SVIs from the different periods were compared using means, t test, ANOVA, and ARIMA. Results Public interest in mental health increased after the MH Act approval and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The top and rising related queries revolved around mental health definitions, translations, factors, services, policy, adverse mental state, and its context during the pandemic. Conclusions These increased public interests may stem from aspirations for mental health after legislation and higher mental health needs during the pandemic. Related queries may indicate that the public may be using online information to search for mental health services and concepts. Thus, there is a need to improve reliable and trustworthy online mental health information and services.

Attention to climate change and downside risk: Evidence from China.

We explore the role of public climate attention, captured by the Baidu search volume index, in the downside risk. Using 45 keywords from five perspectives related to climate change, we construct a public climate attention index in China. We find a positive and significant relationship between climate attention and downside risk at the market-level and firm-level. Moreover, the risk-increase effect of climate attention becomes more prominent for state-owned and high-carbon-emission firms. Further analysis shows that excellent sustainable performance can moderate the adverse effect of rising climate attention, while the major climate disasters exacerbate the effect. Overall, our findings shed additional light on the important role of collective climate beliefs in corporate risk management and investor decision-making.