Increasing trends in online information-seeking and decreasing trends of funded research for polycystic ovary syndrome: An 18-year joinpoint analysis of Google Trends data from 2004 to 2022

Abstract

Background The internet has become the primary source of health-related information, and online health information-seeking behaviour has been used as a reliable surrogate of public awareness. We studied the trends of search interest in polycystic ovary syndrome over time and whether funding for polycystic ovary syndrome research corresponded with the changes in search interest. We also studied the geographic reach of polycystic ovary syndrome interest and whether polycystic ovary syndrome awareness month is an effective strategy to increase polycystic ovary syndrome interest. Methods We performed joinpoint regression on relative search volume data for polycystic ovary syndrome using Google Trends from 2004 to 2022, comparing weekly, monthly and yearly trends. We retrieved the total polycystic ovary syndrome-related articles from 1980 to 2022 to study funded and unfunded literature trends. We did a Mann-Whitney U -test analysis comparing the mean relative search volume during the polycystic ovary syndrome awareness month versus the rest of the weeks yearly. Results Three joinpoints were seen at months 70, 196, and 199 months which were statistically significant when compared to the null hypothesis of zero joinpoints ( p = .0002), one joinpoint ( p = .0002), and two joinpoints ( p = .0395), respectively. The search interest of ‘Polycystic ovary syndrome’ was seen in 195 regions globally. The mean relative search volume in September corresponding to polycystic ovary syndrome awareness month was higher than other months from 2013 to 2022. Of the 41,292 journal articles analysed, there was a positive trend in funded polycystic ovary syndrome research from the 2000s until the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions An increasing polycystic ovary syndrome search interest is probably driven by major legislative and scientific events suggesting the importance of such events. Polycystic ovary syndrome Awareness Month is an effective international awareness initiative to increase online polycystic ovary syndrome information-seeking behaviour. The declining trend in funding is a concern as it mismatches with the continued increase in information-seeking behaviour globally.