TY  - JOUR
AU  - Jagomast, Tobias
AU  - Finck, Jule
AU  - Tangemann-Münstedt, Imke
AU  - Auth, Katharina
AU  - Drömann, Daniel
AU  - Franzen, Klaas F
PY  - 2024
DA  - 2024/12/3
TI  - Google Trends Assessment of Keywords Related to Smoking and Smoking Cessation During the COVID-19 Pandemic in 4 European Countries: Retrospective Analysis
JO  - Online J Public Health Inform
SP  - e57718
VL  - 16
KW  - internet
KW  - coronavirus
KW  - COVID-19
KW  - SARS-CoV-2
KW  - pandemics
KW  - public health
KW  - smoking cessation
KW  - tobacco products
KW  - Google Trends
KW  - relative search volume
KW  - Europe
KW  - online
KW  - search
KW  - smoking
KW  - addiction
KW  - quit
KW  - cessation
KW  - trend
KW  - cluster
KW  - public interest
KW  - lockdown
KW  - vaccination
KW  - spread
KW  - incidence
AB  - Background: Smoking is a modifiable risk factor for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Evidence of smoking behavior during the pandemic is ambiguous. Most investigations report an increase in smoking. In this context, Google Trends data monitor real-time public information–seeking behavior and are therefore useful to characterize smoking-related interest over the trajectory of the pandemic. Objective: This study aimed to use Google Trends data to evaluate the effect of the pandemic on public interest in smoking-related topics with a focus on lockdowns, vaccination campaigns, and incidence. Methods: The weekly relative search volume was retrieved from Google Trends for England, Germany, Italy, and Spain from December 31, 2017, to April 18, 2021. Data were collected for keywords concerning consumption, cessation, and treatment. The relative search volume before and during the pandemic was compared, and general trends were evaluated using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Short-term changes and hereby temporal clusters linked to lockdowns or vaccination campaigns were addressed by the flexible spatial scan statistics proposed by Takahashi and colleagues. Subsequently, the numbers of clusters after the onset of the pandemic were compared by chi-square test. Results: Country-wise minor differences were observed while 3 overarching trends prevailed. First, regarding cessation, the statistical comparison revealed a significant decline in interest for 58% (7/12) of related keywords, and fewer clusters were present during the pandemic. Second, concerning consumption, significantly reduced relative search volume was observed for 58% (7/12) of keywords, while treatment-related keywords exhibited heterogeneous trends. Third, substantial clusters of increased interest were sparsely linked to lockdowns, vaccination campaigns, or incidence. Conclusions: This study reports a substantial decline in overall relative search volume and clusters for cessation interest. These results underline the importance of intensifying cessation aid during times of crisis. Lockdowns, vaccination, and incidence had less impact on information-seeking behavior. Other public measures that positively affect smoking behavior remain to be determined. 
SN  - 1947-2579
UR  - https://ojphi.jmir.org/2024/1/e57718
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/57718
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39626237
DO  - 10.2196/57718
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/57718
ER  -