Introducing the Digital Disparity Index: Regional Alignment Between Online Search Trends and Cardiovascular Disease Burden in Türkiye-Uncorrected Proof

OBJECTIVE
Cardiovascular diseases are a leading health problem in Türkiye and worldwide. Digital platforms now offer ways to gauge public awareness through internet searches. This study explores how cardiovascular search trends align with regional epidemiological data in Türkiye and whether such data can indicate awareness and disease burden. Terms were chosen for clinical relevance and “related queries.” Since Google Trends reports relative interest, this is noted as a limitation.


METHOD
Google Trends data for five terms (“coronary artery disease,” “heart attack,” “ischemic heart disease,” “stent,” “heart failure”) were collected for Türkiye’s seven regions and 81 provinces between January 2020 and July 2025. Term selection was based on guidelines and related queries; synonyms were not fully reviewed. Data were compared with prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from national and global sources. Correlation and regression analyses assessed associations. A prototype Digital Disparity Index (DDI) combined disease burden, search activity, and socioeconomic context.


RESULTS
Search activity correlated with epidemiological indicators, with the strongest associations in the Marmara and Aegean regions (Pearson’s r = 0.68, P < 0.01). Some eastern provinces showed high burden but low search activity. Regression analysis indicated that search interest explained 46% of the variance in prevalence (R² = 0.46, P < 0.01). The DDI highlighted Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia as high-disparity areas.


CONCLUSION
Internet search data reflect awareness and cardiovascular burden in Türkiye and may support public health planning. The DDI helps identify areas where burden is high but awareness is low. Broader term inclusion, multilingual coverage, and validation with clinical outcomes are needed in future research.