The electronic search for the terms vape and hoarseness in Brazil: an infodemiological study

ABSTRACT

Purpose  To verify the interest of the Brazilian population in online searches for the terms “vape” and “hoarseness.”

Methods  This quantitative infodemiological study utilized data from Google Trends to analyze web searches for “vape” and “hoarseness.” The data were collected on July 2, 2024, and normalized as Relative Search Volume (RSV) on a scale from zero to 100. Statistical analysis was conducted using JAMOVI 2.3.28 and R 4.2.3 software. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to verify data normality, and the correlation between variables was analyzed using Spearman's test. The Mann-Kendall trend test was applied to identify trends in the time series, with a significance level of 5%.

Results  The highest search peak for the term “vape” occurred in December 2021 (100 RSV), and for “hoarseness” in June 2022 (22 RSV). There was a higher search volume for “vape” (25.9 ± 21.6 RSV) than for “hoarseness” (3.87 ± 3.77 RSV) over the time series. A significant upward trend was observed for both terms, with strong growth for “vape” (Tau = 0.73; p<0.001) and moderate growth for “hoarseness” (Tau = 0.46; p<0.001). There was a significant moderate positive correlation between the co-occurrence of the terms (Spearman's Rho = 0.66; p<0.001).

Conclusion  The Brazilian population shows growing interest in “vape,” and the search for this term is related to searches for “hoarseness,” which may suggest concerns about the impact of this device on vocal health.

Keywords:
Vaping; Voice; Infodemiology; Public health; Respiratory tract disease