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Provenzano S, Santangelo OE, Gianfredi V. Infodemiology and infoveillance: framework for contagious exanthematous diseases, of childhood in Italy. Pathog Glob Health 2024; 118:317-324. [PMID: 38411130 PMCID: PMC11234913 DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2024.2323844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Contagious exanthematous diseases are becoming a major public health problem. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential epidemiological trend of four infectious exanthematous diseases in Italy through the searches on the internet. METHODS We used the following Italian search term: 'Sesta malattia' (Sixth Disease, in English), 'Eritema Infettivo' (also knows 'Quinta malattia' in Italian; Fifth Disease in English), 'Quarta malattia' (Fourth Disease in English) and 'Scarlattina' (Scarlet fever in English). We overlapped Google Trends and Wikipedia data to perform a linear regression and correlation analysis. Statistical analyses were performed using the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rho). The study period is between July 2015 and December 2022. RESULTS The diseases considered have a seasonal trend and the search peaks between GT and Wikipedia overlap. A temporal correlation was observed between GT and Wikipedia search trends. Google Trends Internet search data showed strong correlation with Wikipedia with a rho statistically significant for Fifth disease (rho = 0.78), Fourth disease (rho = 0.76) and Scarlet-fever (rho = 0.77), moderate correlation for Sixth disease (rho = 0.32). CONCLUSIONS Infectious disease searches using Google and Wikipedia can be useful for public health surveillance and help policy makers implement prevention and information programs for the population, in addition to the fact that increases in searches could represent an early warning in the detection of outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Omar Enzo Santangelo
- CS Vaccinations and Infectious Disease Surveillance, Regional Health Care and Social Agency of Lodi, Lodi, Italy
| | - Vincenza Gianfredi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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Santangelo OE, Gianfredi V, Provenzano S, Cedrone F. Digital epidemiology and infodemiology of hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) in Italy. Disease trend assessment via Google and Wikipedia. ACTA BIO-MEDICA : ATENEI PARMENSIS 2023; 94:e2023107. [PMID: 37539609 PMCID: PMC10440772 DOI: 10.23750/abm.v94i4.14184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM The study aimed to evaluate the epidemiological trend of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in Italy using data on Internet search volume. METHODS A cross-sectional study design was used. Data on Internet searches were obtained from Google Trends (GT) and Wikipedia. We used the following Italian search term: "Malattia mano-piede-bocca" (Hand-foot-mouth disease, in English). A monthly time-frame was extracted, partly overlapping, from July 2015 to December 2022. GT and Wikipedia were overlapped to perform a linear regression and correlation analyses. Statistical analyses were performed using the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rho). A linear regression analysis was performed considering Wikipedia and GT. RESULTS Search peaks for both Wikipedia and GT occurred in the months November-December during the autumn-winter season and in June during the spring-summer season, except for the period from June 2020 to June 2021, probably due to the restrictions of the COVID19 pandemic. A temporal correlation was observed between GT and Wikipedia search trends. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study in Italy that attempts to clarify the epidemiology of HFMD. Google search and Wikipedia can be valuable for public health surveillance; however, to date, digital epidemiology cannot replace the traditional surveillance system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Fabrizio Cedrone
- Hospital Management, Local Health Unit of Pescara, 65122 Pescara.
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Alibudbud R. Wikipedia page views for health research: a review. Front Big Data 2023; 6:1199060. [PMID: 37469441 PMCID: PMC10353851 DOI: 10.3389/fdata.2023.1199060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Wikipedia is an open-source online encyclopedia and one of the most-read sources of online health information. Likewise, Wikipedia page views have also been analyzed to inform public health services and policies. The present review analyzed 29 studies utilizing Wikipedia page views for health research. Most reviewed studies were published in recent years and emanated from high-income countries. Together with Wikipedia page views, most studies also used data from other internet sources, such as Google, Twitter, YouTube, and Reddit. The reviewed studies also explored various non-communicable diseases, infectious diseases, and health interventions to describe changes in the utilization of online health information from Wikipedia, to examine the effect of public events on public interest and information usage about health-related Wikipedia pages, to estimate and predict the incidence and prevalence of diseases, to predict data from other internet data sources, to evaluate the effectiveness of health education activities, and to explore the evolution of a health topic. Given some of the limitations in replicating some of the reviewed studies, future research can specify the specific Wikipedia page or pages analyzed, the language of the Wikipedia pages examined, dates of data collection, dates explored, type of data, and whether page views were limited to Internet users and whether web crawlers and redirects to the Wikipedia page were included. Future research can also explore public interest in other commonly read health topics available in Wikipedia, develop Wikipedia-based models that can be used to predict disease incidence and improve Wikipedia-based health education activities.
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Santangelo OE, Gianfredi V, Provenzano S. Impact on online research on celebrities' uncommon diseases: the curious case of Justin Bieber and Ramsay Hunt syndrome. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR GESUNDHEITSWISSENSCHAFTEN = JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH 2023:1-9. [PMID: 37361302 PMCID: PMC10202347 DOI: 10.1007/s10389-023-01940-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Aim We investigated how to use Internet user searches to gauge the impact of a celebrity illness on global public interest. Methods The study design is cross-sectional. Data on Internet searches were obtained from Google Trends (GT) for the period between 2017-2022 using the search words "Ramsay Hunt syndrome" (RHS), "Ramsay Hunt syndrome type 2," "Herpes zoster," and "Justin Bieber." The frequency of specific page views for "Ramsay Hunt syndrome," "Ramsay Hunt syndrome type 1," Ramsay Hunt syndrome type 2," Ramsay Hunt syndrome type 3," "Herpes zoster," and "Justin Bieber" were collected via a Wikipedia analysis tool that shows the number of times a specific page is viewed. Statistical analyses were performed using the Pearson (r) and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rho). Results GT data, in 2022, show a strong correlation for Justin Bieber and RHS or RHS type 2 (r = 0.75); similarly, Wikipedia data show a strong correlation for Justin Bieber and the others explored terms (r > 0.75). Furthermore, the correlation was strong between GT and Wikipedia for RHS (rho = 0.89) and RHS type 2 (rho = 0.88). Conclusions The peak search times for the GT and Wikipedia pages were during the same period. Useful new tools and analyses of Internet traffic data may be effective in assessing the impact of announced celebrity uncommon illnesses on global public interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Enzo Santangelo
- Regional Health Care and Social Agency of Lodi, ASST Lodi, piazza Ospitale 10, 26900 Lodi, Italy
| | - Vincenza Gianfredi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Via Pascal, 36, 20133 Milan, Italy
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Gianfredi V, Nucci D, Nardi M, Santangelo OE, Provenzano S. Using Google Trends and Wikipedia to Investigate the Global Public's Interest in the Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis of a Celebrity. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:2106. [PMID: 36767473 PMCID: PMC9915341 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20032106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
A cross-sectional study was designed to assess the impact of a celebrity's announcement of having been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on the volume of cancer-related research on the Internet. Global searches were carried out on Google Trends (GT) for the period from 1 January 2004 to 20 November 2022 (since data prior to 2004 were not available) using the search words Tumore del Pancreas (pancreatic cancer), Tumore neuroendocrino (neuroendocrine tumor), and Fedez (the name of a popular Italian rapper). The frequency of specific page views for Fedez, Tumore del pancreas, and Tumore neuroendocrino was collected via Wikipedia Trends data. Statistical analyses were carried out using the Pearson correlation coefficient (r). The GT data revealed a strong correlation (r = 0.83) while the Wikipedia Trends data indicated a moderate correlation (r = 0.37) for Tumore neuroendocrino and Tumore del pancreas. The search peaks for the GT and Wikipedia pages occur during the same time period. An association was found between the celebrity's announcement of his pancreatic cancer diagnosis and the volume of pancreatic-cancer-related online searches. Our findings demonstrate that media events and media coverage of health-related news can raise people's curiosity and desire for health information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenza Gianfredi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Via Pascal, 36, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Daniele Nucci
- Nutritional Support Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Via Gattamelata, 64, 35128 Padua, Italy
| | - Mariateresa Nardi
- Nutritional Support Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Via Gattamelata, 64, 35128 Padua, Italy
| | - Omar Enzo Santangelo
- Regional Health Care and Social Agency of Lodi, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale di Lodi (ASST Lodi), Piazza Ospitale 10, 26900 Lodi, Italy
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SANTANGELO OMARENZO, PROVENZANO SANDRO, GIANFREDI VINCENZA. Infodemiology of flu: Google trends-based analysis of Italians' digital behavior and a focus on SARS-CoV-2, Italy. JOURNAL OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AND HYGIENE 2021; 62:E586-E591. [PMID: 34909483 PMCID: PMC8639123 DOI: 10.15167/2421-4248/jpmh2021.62.3.1704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Introduction The aim of the current study was to assess if the frequency of internet searches for influenza are aligned with Italian National Institute of Health (ISS) cases and deaths. Also, we evaluate the distribution over time and the correlation between search volume of flu and flu symptoms with reported new cases of SARS-CoV-2. Materials and methods The reported cases and deaths of flu and the reported cases of SARS-CoV-2 were selected from the reports of ISS, the data have been aggregated by week. The search volume provided by Google Trends (GT) has a relative nature and is calculated as a percentage of query related to a specific term in connection with a determined place and time-frame. Results The strongest correlation between GT search and influenza cases was found at a lag of +1 week particularly for the period 2015-2019. A strong correlation was also found at a lag of +1 week between influenza death and GT search. About the correlation between GT search and SARS-CoV-2 new cases the strongest correlation was found at a lag of +3 weeks for the term flu. Conclusion In the last years research in health care has used GT data to explore public interest in various fields of medicine. Caution should be used when interpreting the findings of digital surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - SANDRO PROVENZANO
- Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Policlinico “P. Giaccone”, Palermo, Italy
- Correspondence: Sandro Provenzano, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Policlinico “P. Giaccone”, via del Vespro 129, 90127 Palermo (PA), Italia - Tel.: +390916553641 - Fax: +390916553697 - E-mail:
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Nucci D, Santangelo OE, Nardi M, Provenzano S, Gianfredi V. Wikipedia, Google Trends and Diet: Assessment of Temporal Trends in the Internet Users' Searches in Italy before and during COVID-19 Pandemic. Nutrients 2021; 13:3683. [PMID: 34835939 PMCID: PMC8620684 DOI: 10.3390/nu13113683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
We obtained data from Google Trends and Wikipedia in order to assess whether an analysis of Internet searches could provide information on the Internet users' behaviour/interest in diets. Differences in seasonality, year and before/during COVID-19 pandemic were assessed. From Wikipedia, we extracted the number of times a page is viewed by users, aggregated on monthly and seasonal bases. We also used Google Trends to evaluate the frequency of the users' web searches. The Mediterranean diet was the most frequently (33.9%), followed by the pescatarian diet (9.0%). Statistically, significant seasonal differences were found for the Mediterranean, vegetarian, Atkins, Scarsdale, and zone diets and pescetarianism. The most commonly searched diet and consequent diet-related queries on Google resulted to be: Dukan diet, Dukan and weight loss. Ketogenic, FODMAP and intermittent fasting diets were statistically more frequently searched during the pandemic compared with before. Our data show a different trend of searches based on the seasonality, year and the pandemic. These data could be useful for scientists, practitioners and policy makers because they can inform educational campaigns via the Internet, especially in periods when the population is more receptive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Nucci
- Nutritional Support Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Via Gattamelata 64, 35128 Padua, Italy; (D.N.); (M.N.)
| | - Omar Enzo Santangelo
- Regional Health Care and Social Agency of Lodi, ASST Lodi, Piazza Ospitale, 10, 26900 Lodi, Italy;
| | - Mariateresa Nardi
- Nutritional Support Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Via Gattamelata 64, 35128 Padua, Italy; (D.N.); (M.N.)
| | - Sandro Provenzano
- Local Health Unit of Trapani, ASP Trapani, Via G. Mazzini, 1, 91100 Trapani, Italy;
| | - Vincenza Gianfredi
- School of Medicine, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milan, Italy
- CAPHRI Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Minderbroedersberg 4-6, 6211 LK Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Safety and Efficacy of Spray Intranasal Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9090998. [PMID: 34579235 PMCID: PMC8472940 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9090998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Although influenza is a major public health concern, little is known about the use of spray live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) among adults. For this reason, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the efficacy and safety of LAIV, especially in adults with/without clinical conditions and children <2 years, with the final aim of possibly extending the clinical indications. PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus were the two databases consulted through February 2021. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. A critical appraisal was conducted. Analyses were performed by using ProMeta3 software. Twenty-two studies were included, showing that LAIV was associated with a higher probability of seroconversion when compared with a placebo and considering the A/H1N1 serotype (pooled OR = 2.26 (95% CI = 1.12–4.54), p-value = 0.022; based on 488 participants, without heterogeneity (I2 = 0.0%)). The meta-analysis also confirmed no significant association with systemic adverse events. Only rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, and sore throat were significantly associated with LAIV compared to the placebo. Despite limited available evidence, LAIV has proved to be a safe and effective flu vaccination, also due to its very low invasiveness, and our review’s results can be considered a starting point for guiding future research and shaping forthcoming vaccination campaigns.
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Gianfredi V, Santangelo OE, Provenzano S. The effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the trend of measles and influenza in Europe. ACTA BIO-MEDICA : ATENEI PARMENSIS 2021; 92:e2021318. [PMID: 34487070 PMCID: PMC8477107 DOI: 10.23750/abm.v92i4.11558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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