Public Interest in Ophthalmological Topics Following the 2023 Türkiye Earthquakes: A Comparative Google Trends Analysis

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Abstract
Objective: The earthquakes that struck Kahramanmaraş on February 6, 2023, caused severe destruction and significantly impacted public health priorities in southeastern Türkiye. This study aimed to evaluate changes in public interest in ophthalmological topics before and after the disaster using Google Trends data. Methods: Thirty ophthalmological terms potentially influenced by disaster-related factors (e.g., stress, poor hygiene, sunlight exposure) were initially identified through literature review and expert consensus. Due to insufficient search volume, ten terms were excluded. Weekly relative search volume (RSV) values for 20 ophthalmological topics were retrieved using Google Trends for the three most devastated provinces (Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, and Adıyaman) from February 6, 2022, to February 3, 2024. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test (SPSS v22.0) was used to compare the time before and after the earthquake. Terms showing significant changes in at least two provinces were further analyzed across all 11 affected provinces. The threshold for statistical significance was established at p < 0.05. Results: Public search interest in “glasses” significantly decreased in Hatay (−15.2%, p<0.01), Kahramanmaraş (−16.91%, p<0.01), and Adıyaman (−19.49%, p<0.01). In Hatay (−92.11%, p<0.01) and Kahramanmaraş (−88.8%, p0.05), however, there was a noticeable but not statistically significant drop. A decline was also observed in searches for cataract, strabismus, and several other conditions; however, increases were noted in searches for conjunctivitis, eye strain, and glaucoma, but these changes were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Following this large-scale natural disaster, public interest in most non-urgent ophthalmic conditions decreased, suggesting a shift away from routine eye care needs. Google Trends may serve as a valuable tool for identifying community health priorities after catastrophic events, enabling a more efficient allocation of healthcare resources and targeted interventions.

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