Time-series analysis of vitiligo-related online search behavior in response to ambient air pollutants.

ABSTRACT: Ambient air pollutants are hazardous materials posing significant risks to global public health. While their impacts on respiratory and cardiovascular systems are well-established, their role in triggering specific autoimmune skin diseases remains under-explored. This study investigates the temporally resolved public health response to air pollutant exposure, using the autoimmune condition vitiligo as a sensitive health endpoint. We aimed to evaluate the differential public health responses to six major air pollutants by analyzing their lagged effects on vitiligo-related online search behavior, using the Baidu Search Index (BSI) as a novel proxy for public concern and health-seeking activity. In this ecological time-series study, we applied a Distributed Lag Non-linear Model (DLNM) to dail

SUBMITTER: Zhu S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12800077 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature