An Infodemiological and Scientometric Analysis of Gestational Diabetes: Ex-ploring the Gap Between User Infor-mation-Seeking Patterns and Research Trends in Iran

Purpose: This research aimed to conduct an infodemiological and scientometric analysis of gestational diabetes by examining users' information-seeking behavior alongside researchers' scientific output. Specifically, this comprehensive study employed an infodemiological approach within a dual analytical framework to systematically investigate gestational diabetes, analyzing both public information-seeking patterns and academic research production. The study was designed to bridge the gap between laypersons' health information needs and scientific knowledge dissemination by simultaneously analyzing real-world search behaviors and scholarly outputs.
Methodology: This applied study employed an exploratory mixed-methods approach, conducted both descriptively and analytically. In the qualitative phase, we conducted in-depth focus group discussions with 12 pregnant women diagnosed with gestational diabetes, selected via purposive sampling. Thematic analysis of these discussions was performed to identify and extract key search terms and phrases used by the participants. The quantitative phase comprised two parallel analyses. First, we systematically examined search behavior patterns using Google Trends data from 2015 to 2024 for all identified keywords, analyzing temporal trends and search volumes. Second, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of Iranian-affiliated scientific publications indexed in three prominent databases—PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus—during the same period, tracking publication trends, citation patterns, and research focus areas. All collected data were organized and analyzed using Microsoft Excel for data management and SPSS (version 26) for statistical analyses, including correlation tests and trend analysis. This dual-phase approach enabled a robust comparison between public information-seeking behaviors and academic research outputs in the field of gestational diabetes.
Findings: The results indicated that the keywords could be categorized into four main themes: "gestational diabetes," "symptoms and diagnosis," "treatment and nutrition," and "complications." The most frequently searched term was the Persian phrase for "gestational diabetes." While "gestational diabetes" was more popular in 2015–2016, the term "gestational sugar" gained stability from 2019 onward. Notably, Persian keywords dominated the searches, with minimal use of the English term "Gestational diabetes," suggesting that the general public, particularly pregnant women, prefer local terminology over scientific jargon. Furthermore, analysis of Google Trends data from 2015 to 2024 revealed a declining trend in searches related to gestational diabetes among Iranian users, contrasting with an initial increase in scientific publications. Iran’s academic output peaked in 2019 but fluctuated thereafter. A comparative analysis with Canada and Australia revealed that these countries exhibited higher research productivity and more stable or increasing search trends. For example, Australia led in both the search volume for "Gestational diabetes" and the number of scientific publications, whereas Iran’s declining public interest in online searches did not correspond with its relatively stable research output. Finally, the Pearson correlation test was employed to examine the relationship between Iranian users’ online search behavior and scientific publications. The results indicated a moderate negative correlation (r = -0.55); however, the relationship was not statistically significant (p = 0.10). This suggests that, although there may be an inverse trend between public search activity and academic research, the connection is not strong enough to confirm a meaningful association. This disparity highlights a potential gap between public health information needs and the focus of scientific research in Iran.
Conclusion: Based on the findings of this research, Iranian users rely heavily on Google to fulfill their information needs regarding gestational diabetes. However, scientific research in this field often fails to address these practical concerns. This reveals a significant gap in health knowledge translation, where valuable research does not effectively reach or respond to the public’s most pressing questions. To address this issue, several measures should be implemented. First, accurate and accessible health information should be made available through local digital platforms, including mobile applications specifically designed for Persian-speaking users and telemedicine services that provide reliable guidance. Social media channels should also be leveraged to distribute verified content that counters widespread misinformation. At the research level, scientists and funding institutions should prioritize studies that directly align with the information needs revealed by search trends and user behavior. Rather than focusing solely on theoretical aspects, more applied research is needed to answer the questions pregnant women and their families are asking online. Additionally, researchers should consider users’ information needs as a foundation for conducting applied research. Finally, conducting comparative cross-cultural studies and examining the role of social networks in promoting digital health literacy are recommended areas for future research.
urpose: This research aimed to conduct an infodemiological and scientometric analysis of gestational diabetes by examining users' information-seeking behavior alongside researchers' scientific output. Specifically, this comprehensive study employed an infodemiological approach within a dual analytical framework to systematically investigate gestational diabetes, analyzing both public information-seeking patterns and academic research production. The study was designed to bridge the gap between laypersons' health information needs and scientific knowledge dissemination by simultaneously analyzing real-world search behaviors and scholarly outputs.
Methodology: This applied study employed an exploratory mixed-methods approach, conducted both descriptively and analytically. In the qualitative phase, we conducted in-depth focus group discussions with 12 pregnant women diagnosed with gestational diabetes, selected via purposive sampling. Thematic analysis of these discussions was performed to identify and extract key search terms and phrases used by the participants. The quantitative phase comprised two parallel analyses. First, we systematically examined search behavior patterns using Google Trends data from 2015 to 2024 for all identified keywords, analyzing temporal trends and search volumes. Second, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of Iranian-affiliated scientific publications indexed in three prominent databases—PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus—during the same period, tracking publication trends, citation patterns, and research focus areas. All collected data were organized and analyzed using Microsoft Excel for data management and SPSS (version 26) for statistical analyses, including correlation tests and trend analysis. This dual-phase approach enabled a robust comparison between public information-seeking behaviors and academic research outputs in the field of gestational diabetes.
Findings: The results indicated that the keywords could be categorized into four main themes: "gestational diabetes," "symptoms and diagnosis," "treatment and nutrition," and "complications." The most frequently searched term was the Persian phrase for "gestational diabetes." While "gestational diabetes" was more popular in 2015–2016, the term "gestational sugar" gained stability from 2019 onward. Notably, Persian keywords dominated the searches, with minimal use of the English term "Gestational diabetes," suggesting that the general public, particularly pregnant women, prefer local terminology over scientific jargon. Furthermore, analysis of Google Trends data from 2015 to 2024 revealed a declining trend in searches related to gestational diabetes among Iranian users, contrasting with an initial increase in scientific publications. Iran’s academic output peaked in 2019 but fluctuated thereafter. A comparative analysis with Canada and Australia revealed that these countries exhibited higher research productivity and more stable or increasing search trends. For example, Australia led in both the search volume for "Gestational diabetes" and the number of scientific publications, whereas Iran’s declining public interest in online searches did not correspond with its relatively stable research output. Finally, the Pearson correlation test was employed to examine the relationship between Iranian users’ online search behavior and scientific publications. The results indicated a moderate negative correlation (r = -0.55); however, the relationship was not statistically significant (p = 0.10). This suggests that, although there may be an inverse trend between public search activity and academic research, the connection is not strong enough to confirm a meaningful association. This disparity highlights a potential gap between public health information needs and the focus of scientific research in Iran.
Conclusion: Based on the findings of this research, Iranian users rely heavily on Google to fulfill their information needs regarding gestational diabetes. However, scientific research in this field often fails to address these practical concerns. This reveals a significant gap in health knowledge translation, where valuable research does not effectively reach or respond to the public’s most pressing questions. To address this issue, several measures should be implemented. First, accurate and accessible health information should be made available through local digital platforms, including mobile applications specifically designed for Persian-speaking users and telemedicine services that provide reliable guidance. Social media channels should also be leveraged to distribute verified content that counters widespread misinformation. At the research level, scientists and funding institutions should prioritize studies that directly align with the information needs revealed by search trends and user behavior. Rather than focusing solely on theoretical aspects, more applied research is needed to answer the questions pregnant women and their families are asking online. Additionally, researchers should consider users’ information needs as a foundation for conducting applied research. Finally, conducting comparative cross-cultural studies and examining the role of social networks in promoting digital health literacy are recommended areas for future research.