Epidemiological Insights into Erectile Dysfunction in the United States: A Google Trends Analysis
<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Erectile dysfunction (ED) significantly impacts the well-being and quality of life of millions of men. Understanding geographic patterns and associated factors influencing ED search trends can offer valuable insights for healthcare improvement and advocacy....
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Société Internationale d’Urologie Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2563-6499/6/2/31 |
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| author | Zaid Ahmed Muhammed A. Moukhtar Hammad Jake Miller Elia Abou Chawareb Lawrence C. Jenkins Faysal A. Yafi |
| author_facet | Zaid Ahmed Muhammed A. Moukhtar Hammad Jake Miller Elia Abou Chawareb Lawrence C. Jenkins Faysal A. Yafi |
| author_sort | Zaid Ahmed |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Background/Objectives:</b> Erectile dysfunction (ED) significantly impacts the well-being and quality of life of millions of men. Understanding geographic patterns and associated factors influencing ED search trends can offer valuable insights for healthcare improvement and advocacy. This study investigated the correlation between Google search trends for ED and various factors across the US. <b>Methods:</b> Google search trends for “erectile dysfunction” were collected over a 6-year period between March 2018 and August 2024. The Google search trends provided data for individual states on a scale from 1 to 100. Search volumes were analyzed alongside the urologist-to-population ratio, percentage of the population aged 65 and older, median household income, and percentage of state residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to examine the relationships between ED search volumes and these factors. <b>Results:</b> Higher ED search volumes were associated with a higher percentage of older adults (r = 0.4332, <i>p</i> = 0.001676). A negative correlation was found between ED search volume and higher education (r = −0.482, <i>p</i> = 0.000394). No significant correlation was found between median household income and ED search volume (r = −0.201, <i>p</i> = 0.164) or a greater urologist density (r = 0.0612, <i>p</i> = 0.6729). <b>Conclusions:</b> This study highlights how healthcare access and demographics influence ED search trends. States with older, less educated populations showed higher interest, while wealthier areas with more urologists had no significant correlation. These findings can guide targeted interventions to improve sexual care in underserved regions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b7dba9c645cd4e269a18efd7e9215286 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2563-6499 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Société Internationale d’Urologie Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-b7dba9c645cd4e269a18efd7e92152862025-08-20T02:18:05ZengMDPI AGSociété Internationale d’Urologie Journal2563-64992025-04-01623110.3390/siuj6020031Epidemiological Insights into Erectile Dysfunction in the United States: A Google Trends AnalysisZaid Ahmed0Muhammed A. Moukhtar Hammad1Jake Miller2Elia Abou Chawareb3Lawrence C. Jenkins4Faysal A. Yafi5Department of Urology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USADepartment of Urology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USADepartment of Urology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USADepartment of Urology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USADepartment of Urology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USADepartment of Urology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Erectile dysfunction (ED) significantly impacts the well-being and quality of life of millions of men. Understanding geographic patterns and associated factors influencing ED search trends can offer valuable insights for healthcare improvement and advocacy. This study investigated the correlation between Google search trends for ED and various factors across the US. <b>Methods:</b> Google search trends for “erectile dysfunction” were collected over a 6-year period between March 2018 and August 2024. The Google search trends provided data for individual states on a scale from 1 to 100. Search volumes were analyzed alongside the urologist-to-population ratio, percentage of the population aged 65 and older, median household income, and percentage of state residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to examine the relationships between ED search volumes and these factors. <b>Results:</b> Higher ED search volumes were associated with a higher percentage of older adults (r = 0.4332, <i>p</i> = 0.001676). A negative correlation was found between ED search volume and higher education (r = −0.482, <i>p</i> = 0.000394). No significant correlation was found between median household income and ED search volume (r = −0.201, <i>p</i> = 0.164) or a greater urologist density (r = 0.0612, <i>p</i> = 0.6729). <b>Conclusions:</b> This study highlights how healthcare access and demographics influence ED search trends. States with older, less educated populations showed higher interest, while wealthier areas with more urologists had no significant correlation. These findings can guide targeted interventions to improve sexual care in underserved regions.https://www.mdpi.com/2563-6499/6/2/31erectile dysfunctiongeographic factorsGoogle Trendspublic healthsocioeconomic factors |
| spellingShingle | Zaid Ahmed Muhammed A. Moukhtar Hammad Jake Miller Elia Abou Chawareb Lawrence C. Jenkins Faysal A. Yafi Epidemiological Insights into Erectile Dysfunction in the United States: A Google Trends Analysis Société Internationale d’Urologie Journal erectile dysfunction geographic factors Google Trends public health socioeconomic factors |
| title | Epidemiological Insights into Erectile Dysfunction in the United States: A Google Trends Analysis |
| title_full | Epidemiological Insights into Erectile Dysfunction in the United States: A Google Trends Analysis |
| title_fullStr | Epidemiological Insights into Erectile Dysfunction in the United States: A Google Trends Analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Epidemiological Insights into Erectile Dysfunction in the United States: A Google Trends Analysis |
| title_short | Epidemiological Insights into Erectile Dysfunction in the United States: A Google Trends Analysis |
| title_sort | epidemiological insights into erectile dysfunction in the united states a google trends analysis |
| topic | erectile dysfunction geographic factors Google Trends public health socioeconomic factors |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2563-6499/6/2/31 |
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