Epidemiological and socioeconomic factors may influence online searches for antibiotics

Objective: To identify the factors that influence internet searches for "antibiotic," using Brazil as a case study. Methods: This is a quantitative study based on Google Trends data (2018-2022) for the terms "antibiotics," "amoxicillin," "azithromycin," and "cephalexin." Spearman's correlation test was performed to evaluate the relationship between RSV, mortality, and HDI, with a significance level of 5%. Additionally, a descriptive data analysis was conducted. Results: The Northern and Northeastern regions showed the highest search volumes. Spearman's correlation test revealed a positive and significant correlation between RSV for "azithromycin" (rs = 0.7887; p < 0.0001) and "amoxicillin" (rs = 0.7423; p < 0.001) with respiratory disease mortality. A significant negative correlation was observed between HDI and RSV (rs = -0.7223; p < 0.05), indicating that states with lower HDI tend to have higher search volumes for antibiotics. Conclusion: Google Trends has proven to be a useful tool for monitoring antibiotic use and self-medication patterns, especially in regions with low HDI and precarious health services.