{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,30]],"date-time":"2026-06-30T17:47:17Z","timestamp":1782841637019,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"JMIR Publications Inc.","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JMIR Form Res"],"abstract":"Abstract<\/jats:title>\n \n Background<\/jats:title>\n Vitiligo is a chronic skin disease with a global prevalence of approximately 1% to 2%, characterized by depigmented macules. Little is known about the public interest and medical needs of patients with vitiligo in Germany. However, understanding this is critical for a patient-centered holistic therapeutic management of the disease.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Objective<\/jats:title>\n This study aimed to analyze vitiligo-related web search behavior across Germany as a proxy for public awareness. A retrospective longitudinal study was conducted using Google Ads Keyword Planner to collect monthly search volume data for vitiligo-related terms from October 2019 to May 2023.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n Keywords were identified in the 7 most spoken languages in Germany (German, Turkish, English, Arabic, Russian, and Polish). Seasonal and regional variations were analyzed, along with correlations with population density, dermatologist availability, and weather patterns.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n In total, 7,764,080 vitiligo-related searches were recorded. Most searches (n=5,808,360, 74.81%) addressed general information. Search volume peaked during the summer months and correlated positively with temperature and sunshine hours (\n P<\/jats:italic>\n <.001). Notable regional differences were observed, with the highest search rates in Hamburg, Berlin, and Bremen. Rural areas showed higher search volume per 100,000 inhabitants than urban areas.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n The findings suggest a strong public interest in vitiligo, particularly during periods of increased skin exposure. The high demand for treatment-related information further reflects the need for accessible, effective care. Web search behavior can offer real-time insights into public awareness and unmet needs, supporting earlier disease recognition, stigma reduction, and targeted educational strategies.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.2196\/85171","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,9]],"date-time":"2025-12-09T16:30:06Z","timestamp":1765297806000},"page":"e85171-e85171","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Vitiligo in the Digital Spotlight: Retrospective Longitudinal Study in Germany"],"prefix":"10.2196","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-8422-3278","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Enya","family":"M\u00fcller","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-2819-1805","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christine","family":"Gasteiger","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7338-7734","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Markus","family":"B\u00f6hm","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-6342-5104","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Georg","family":"Pliszewski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-8652-8029","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lilian","family":"Rauch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5352-5105","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tilo","family":"Biedermann","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9313-6588","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alexander","family":"Zink","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1010","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,20]]},"reference":[{"issue":"3","key":"R1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"365","DOI":"10.1111\/ddg.14713","article-title":"S1 guideline: diagnosis and therapy of vitiligo","volume":"20","author":"B\u00f6hm","journal-title":"J Dtsch Dermatol Ges"},{"issue":"9988","key":"R2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"74","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(14)60763-7","article-title":"Vitiligo","volume":"386","author":"Ezzedine","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"issue":"3","key":"R3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"473","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jaad.2010.11.061","article-title":"Vitiligo: a comprehensive overview part I. 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