Dera Paulina, Klimiuk Krzysztof, Kalinowska-Beszczyńska Olga, Balwicki Łukasz
Department of Public Health and Social Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
Tob Prev Cessat. 2024 May 22;22. doi: 10.18332/tpc/187280. eCollection 2024.
Heated tobacco products (HTPs) have emerged as a prominent category in the tobacco market, particularly within European countries such as Poland. The introduction of HTPs has been met with increasing public interest, reflected in online search behavior. However, the public health implications of this new form of tobacco consumption remain a concern due to the lack of comprehensive research on its long-term effects. This study aimed to track the trends in online searches related to HTPs in Poland between 2016 and 2022, and to assess the impact of significant events on these trends in order to provide insights into public awareness of HTPs.
Utilizing Google Trends, a free source tool, this study analyzed relative search volume (RSV) for HTP-related keywords in Poland. Key events were identified and mapped against the fluctuations in RSV to understand their impact on search behavior. The analysis was confined to specific HTP-related keywords, excluding broader tobacco-related terms.
A notable increase in HTP-related search queries was observed, particularly around the time of product launches and legislative changes. The largest increases occurred during the introduction of HTPs to the Polish market and during major events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study demonstrates a market interest in HTPs among Polish internet users, with search trends influenced by product launches and policy changes. The findings highlight the importance of monitoring online behaviors to inform public health efforts, despite limitations such as the lack of demographic data. Further research is needed to deepen the understanding of how these online trends correlate with actual consumer behavior and product sales.
加热烟草制品（HTPs）已成为烟草市场中的一个重要类别，在波兰等欧洲国家尤为如此。HTPs的推出引发了公众越来越多的关注，这在网络搜索行为中有所体现。然而，由于缺乏对其长期影响的全面研究，这种新型烟草消费形式对公众健康的影响仍然令人担忧。本研究旨在追踪2016年至2022年间波兰与HTPs相关的网络搜索趋势，并评估重大事件对这些趋势的影响，以便深入了解公众对HTPs的认知情况。
本研究利用免费的谷歌趋势工具，分析了波兰与HTPs相关关键词的相对搜索量（RSV）。确定了关键事件，并将其与RSV的波动情况进行比对，以了解它们对搜索行为的影响。分析仅限于与特定HTPs相关的关键词，不包括更宽泛的烟草相关术语。
观察到与HTPs相关的搜索查询显著增加，尤其是在产品推出和立法变化前后。最大幅度的增长发生在HTPs引入波兰市场期间以及诸如新冠疫情等重大事件期间。
该研究表明波兰互联网用户对HTPs存在市场兴趣，搜索趋势受产品推出和政策变化的影响。研究结果凸显了监测网络行为对公共卫生工作的重要性，尽管存在缺乏人口统计数据等局限性。需要进一步开展研究，以加深对这些网络趋势与实际消费者行为及产品销售之间关联的理解。
