Social media influencers are ‘fearmongering’ to promote health tests with limited evidence, study finds | Health
A new study found that the influencers appeal to emotional accounts on health, and often “receive fear” to enhance controversial medical tests on social media.
Research, led by Sydney University and published on Thursday in the open arrival magazine of the American Medical Association Jama open networkand Investigating five tests discussed on social media despite the limited evidence of its benefits for healthy people in general and concerns about excessive diagnosis.
This was Full MRI scan (MRI); Genetic tests demanding the premature marks of 50 cancer; Blood tests for testosterone levels; the Anti -Moliri hormone test (AMH) or “Timat Eggs”Which straightens the number of women’s eggs; And the intestinal microbium test.
The researchers have set 100 jobs per test on Instagram and Tiktok, respectively, between April 2015 and January 2024. Excluding publications from accounts with less than 100 followers and languages other than English 194 million followers.
The main author of the study, Dr. Brook Nickel, said that the publications on these tests came from a “wide range” of account holders, from the main influencers to the accounts of the “daily girl-childbirth”, as well as news, doctors and companies that make the tests. She said, “In all fields, they were promised misleading.”
Nickel said that the tests were promoted under the Store of Empowerment: Early examination as a means of people to control their health. However, Nickel noted: “These tests bear the possibility of obtaining healthy people to receive unnecessary diagnoses, which may lead to unnecessary medical treatments or affect mental health.”
Nickel said that she was shocked by “really personal novels” that are used: “Fear that if you do not do this test, you do not care about your health.”
For example, although the intestinal microbium testing is taking place in its very early stages, the Instagram account that includes more than 65,000 followers promoting the test for its followers, tell them: “You deserve to be in good health. It is your right to childbirth. These tests will tell us on Certainly, causing your specific health concerns.
Researchers participating in the study found that the vast majority of functions (87.1 %) mentioned the benefits of tests, with damage mentioned less than 15 % of publications, and only 6 % mentioned excess diagnosis or excessive use.
A promotional accent was used in 83.8 % of posts – more than half (50.7 %) were encouraged viewers to take action and obtain the test, and 68 % of account holders had financial interests.
Participants from doctors were likely to mention the damage and less likely to obtain a comprehensive promotional tone, but Nickel said in some cases that they “strengthened the test strongly.”
One doctor with More than 65,000 followers on Tiktok promoted a multi -novel early detection test to their followers, telling them: “As you get old, the chance of cancer is very high, if you do this test annually, you will have cancer early.”
the Damage to excessive diagnosis of cancer Nickel said that both full magnetic resonance imaging and a multi -thorny early detection test as a way to determine early forms of cancer.
Excessive diagnosis indicates the diagnosis of very early forms of the disease, which is unlikely to cause any symptoms or problems, but knowledge can cause greater harm than benefit, which leads to psychological stress and Unnecessary treatments including major surgery.
In addition to concerns about excessive diagnosis, there were financial costs for the same tests (the cost of full MRI for the body exceeding $ 800 in Australia) and the costly interventions it follows as a result.
Despite the timing of eggs Unable to reliably predict a woman’s opportunity to get pregnantNickel said that there are fears of women who have received low results that may suffer from unnecessary anxiety, and they fall into the way to freeze optional eggs or artificial insemination interventions when they are not needed.
Nickel said that the test “prey on insecurity” for women regarding their future ability to get pregnant, noting that it was often promoted to younger women who may be away from the decision.
A doctor promoted with more than 70,000 Tiktok followers to test: “Whether you are in a teenager or thirties, enabling yourself to know fertility is very important. For women, age is not a friend.”
Nickel said the testosterone test was closely related to the promotion of treatments or nutritional supplements, and often carried “really clear novels about masculinity.”
Tiktok account with approximately 100,000 followers of testosterone hormone test by telling followers: “Watch out for this frightening mark of low testosterone levels … You must wake up in the morning with Boner. If you do not wake up in the morning with Boner, there is a high possibility You have a low level of testosterone.
Nickel said there are also possible risks for men who take some testosterone supplements due to the lack of long -term safety evidence.
She said that the problem in general is that since these tests were often sold directly to consumers, they “take the middle man – the doctor – from the equation” and a space for the person to discuss it with a medical specialist, whether they need to test or not.
Professor Stacy Carter, Director of the Australian Center for health Participation, evidence and values at the University of Wongong said that the study used strong methods and clearly that influential social media publications enhance the test and talk about the alleged benefits of the test – even when the tests are useless or harmful.
Carter said: “This study adds to the evidence that the wrong medical information is common on social media, and it indicates that we must all think again when we encourage the influence of the test,” Carter said.
Nickel said that there was a need for a stronger organization so that it was not the responsibility for individuals to see the wrong information.
