Online health information–seeking behaviours for low back pain in the United Kingdom: analysis of data from Google trends and the Global Burden of Disease Study, 2004–2019

Abstract

Abstract Background Low back pain (LBP) is a leading cause of global disability. Timely health-seeking is crucial for early diagnosis and management of pathologies. Despite increases in internet usage, there is sparse literature regarding online health information–seeking behaviours (OHISBs) for LBP and how they correlate with the LBP disease burden in the UK. Methods To examine OHISB trends, we conducted Prais–Winsten analyses on monthly search volume data from Google Trends in the UK between 1 January 2004 and 1 December 2019. Cross-correlation analyses assessed the relationship between annual LBP search volume and LBP morbidity and mortality data from the Global Burden of Disease study (2004–2019). Results From 2004 to 2019, the trend in LBP search volume was curvilinear (β=1.27, t=5.00, p<0.001), with a slope change around the end of 2006. There was a negative linear trend (β=−0.25, t35=−1.52, p<0.14) from 2004 to 2006 and a positive linear trend (β=0.67, t108=9.17, p<0.001) from 2007 to 2019. Cross-correlations revealed positive associations between search volume and disease burden indicators for LBP such as prevalence and incidence at lags 4 and 5. Conclusions A rising trend in OHISBs for LBP was noted between 2004 and 2019. This trend positively correlates with incidence, prevalence and burden measures. These findings emphasise the importance of high-quality online resources to increase awareness around LBP, facilitating early diagnosis and management.