Epidemiological correlations and seasonal patterns of osteoporosis and its comorbidities: a 14-year big data analysis using search engine trends

Background Osteoporosis (OP) is a systemic bone disease often coexisting with multiple conditions. However, the population-level, real-time epidemiological links and synchronized seasonal trends between OP and a broad spectrum of comorbidities remain poorly characterized. This study aimed to utilize internet big data to analyze correlation in search trends between OP and associated diseases and assess the potential impact of COVID-19 containment measures on public attention. Methods We employed the Baidu Index (BI) to collect monthly average search volume data for the Chinese keyword “osteoporosis” and 14 related diseases [including Leukemia, Multiple Myeloma (MM), Hyperthyroidism (hyperT), Osteoarthritis (OA), Rheumatoid Arthritis [RA], Lymphoma, Chronic Pancreatitis (CP), Anorexia Nervosa (AN), Diabetes Mellitus (DM), Gaucher Disease (GD), Menopausal Syndrome, Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), Cushing Syndrome (CS), Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH)] from January 2011 to December 2024. Spearman’s correlation coefficients were used for trend analysis. Search volumes during the first 5 months of 2019, 2020, and 2021 were compared to assess the short-term impact of isolation measures. Results Over 14 years, OP search trends showed strikingly synchronous seasonal patterns with Leukemia, MM, hyperT, OA, RA, Lymphoma, CP, AN, and DM (all R > 0.615, p < 0.05), featuring a February trough, a March spike, a summer peak, and a gentle April–December trend. Monthly correlations were significant for OP with MM, OA, hyperT, Lymphoma, CP, Leukemia, Menopausal Syndrome, SPS, CS, LCH, AN, and DM (R range: 0.212–0.591, p < 0.05), but not with GD or RA. During the pandemic intervention, search volumes for OP, OA, Leukemia, MM, Lymphoma, hyperT, CP, DM, and Menopausal Syndrome in Jan-May 2020 decreased significantly vs. 2019 ( p < 0.05). By Jan-May 2021, searches for OA, Leukemia, MM, and DM remained below 2019 levels. Conclusion Significant seasonal co-occurrence patterns in public attention exist between OP and several diseases, suggesting potential areas for further clinical investigation, but not direct epidemiological linkage. The short-term decline in search volumes associated with containment measures indirectly reflects the influence of societal interventions on disease-related information-seeking behavior. These findings provide a novel big-data perspective on OP comorbidities and population-level responses to public health events, informing integrated bone health strategies.