Web search trends increase during Awareness Month to autism

Web search trends increase during Awareness Month to autism -

Autism Awareness Month each April brings blue lights and puzzle shapes to shine in many communities - but is it really lead to a rise in autism awareness? According to a new analysis of research trends on the Web by researchers at Drexel University, it does not conduct a Google search for increased autism -. By a third party during searches in March in recent years

Brian K. Lee, PhD, assistant professor in the School of Public Health of Drexel University and researcher of the AJ Drexel Autism Institute , is the lead author of the study of public health doctoral student Elizabeth DeVilbiss, published early online this month in the Journal of Autism and developmental disorders .

Using the tool Google Trends (google.com/trends), they analyzed the Web search queries for the terms "autism" and "Asperger" from January 04 to April 2014 to States -United. They also compared these trends with searches for "ADHD" to assess the possible influence of broader trends in the public interest on issues of particular interest to the younger population mental health.

Each April, 04 to 2014 (except 05), the interest of the web search in enriched autism - by an average of 26 percent between March and April, followed by a decrease average of 24 percent between April and May. Even sharper peaks in April took place from 07 to 2014, with the average increase from March to April to 33 percent in those years.

A smaller secondary increase in searches "autism" was held each fall. Spring and autumn Similar oscillations occurred in searches for "ADHD" but without the high peak seen in April for "autism." Spring and autumn oscillations may reflect a rebound in Web searches in general, which tend to fall in summer and winter, Lee said.

The overall research interest in "autism" was supported, but not more in the ten -Year span the researchers analyzed. In contrast, "Asperger" research had a long-term increasing trend, with the popularity of the term generally 255 percent higher in January 2014 compared to January 04.

Lee and DeVelbiss highlighted some tips additional research into the trends that can match the coverage of high-impact autism and Asperger syndrome out awareness campaigns in April. The Google Trends tool allows users to overlay news headlines related to search terms along the dashboard. Lee warned that the findings on the correlation of news headlines in search of trends should be considered with caution because many could be simply accidental correlations. However, three points were not April noted in particular:

• In September 07, the largest monthly increase (80 percent) in searches for "autism" during the period 04- 2014 took place. In this month, The Oprah Winfrey Show aired a high-level segment on September 18 with Jenny McCarthy and Holly Robinson Peete discuss their son with autism.
• In February 05, another spike in searches "autism" was held, the correlation with a series of 10 parts autism on The Today Show, February 21-25, 05.
• in December 2012, the research "Asperger" increased by 122 percent over November 2012. this increase corresponds to the heavy advertising regarding the projected elimination of Asperger syndrome as a standalone diagnosis in the DSM V.

Autism is not the only condition for which awareness month were related to increased research activity. A 2011 study in Cancer BMC said the research for breast cancer increased every October during Breast Awareness Month cancer between 04 and 09, but much lower research activity occurred for cancers of the prostate and lung during their respective months of sensitization. research activity is as far from the whole picture awareness of autism and other conditions. Whether useful and accessible information is available as a result of this research is important.

"That increased awareness is significant is another question," said Lee. "When a parent does a search on the Web, is it leads to recognition of autism in their child? Is led to the search of tests and clinical services? "Search trends can not answer these questions, but can provide an overview of the public interest in a subject.