Impact of World Cerebral Palsy Day on Public Interest in Brazil: Evidence from Internet Search Data.

ABSTRACT

AIM: This study investigated the impact of the World Cerebral Palsy Day (WCPD) campaign on the public interest using Google Trends Analysis data in Brazil. METHODS: Google Trends was used to collect Relative Search Volume (RSV) data for "cerebral palsy" from 2004 to 2011 (control years) and 2012 to 2022 (WCPD years). RSV during the 4 weeks around WCPD (period of interest) was compared with the rest of the year (control period) in each timeframe. Regional RSV, search queries, and main topics were also investigated. RESULTS: RSV increased by 62.22% from pre-campaign to campaign period. During the WCPD years, a 21.36% RSV increase occurred in campaign weeks, with an average difference of 12.16 (95% CI 1.74, 22.58); notably in in the last five years in the southeast 9.47 (95% CI 2.93, 16.01) and south 8.66 (95% CI 1.66, 15.66) macro-regions. CONCLUSION: The campaign has fulfilled its role, but targeting more vulnerable areas could further amplify its impact.