What is the interest in the search for information related to informational disorder in health of Internet users from different countries? An infodemiological study.

• Grant number: 23/02547-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2023
• End date: December 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Pediatric Dentistry
• Principal Investigator: Thiago Cruvinel da Silva
• Grantee: Bruna de Paula Nogueira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru (FOB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Bauru , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Despite not having emergence in contemporaneity, the dissemination of false information found on the Internet is a propitious medium to potentiate its reach and harmful impact. The term "fake news" has been used laically to define any type of false information circulating in the media, but it is not the only one to define the complexity of information disorder. Because of its speed and ease, the Internet has become an important source of health information for the general population. However, there is a concern among health professionals and world bodies about the veracity and quality of the information found on the Internet. The present study aims to analyze longitudinally and retrospectively the level of interest of Google users for terms directly related to the phenomenon of informational disorder in different countries. Data will be obtained from Google Trends for all countries with relevant search volumes (RSV index ` 0), by the simultaneous use of the Topics function for "Fake News", Misinformation", "Disinformation" and "Conspiracy Theory", in two distinct categories ("all categories" and "health") and for Web searches between January 2004 and January 2023. The data will be analyzed to determine predictive models of trend, seasonality of searches, and qualitative analysis of the most popular search terms. For all analyses, values of P<0.05 will be considered for significant differences.