Instagram and TikTok posts pushing 5 controversial medical tests contain little science, are mainly promotional and fail to mention financial interests, according to new research.
You may want to think twice before booking that full-body scan or low testosterone test being promoted by your favorite influencer.
A new study finds an overwhelming majority of social media posts about medical tests are misleading.
Researchers analyzed 982 posts from Instagram and TikTok accounts with more than 194 million combined followers.
The posts were related to five controversial screening tests:
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Full-body MRIs
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Genetic Testing Claiming to Identify Early Signs of Cancer
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Egg Reserve Tests for Fertility
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Gut Microbiome Analysis and
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Blood Tests for Low testosterone
The results showed:
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84% of the posts had a promotional tone
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Only 6% mentioned scientific evidence
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87% mentioned benefits
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Only 15% mentioned potential harms
And even fewer talked about the risk for overdiagnosis.
The lead researcher says these tests are unnecessary for most people, and the science backing them is shaky.
She says, “These tests carry the potential for healthy people to receive unnecessary diagnoses, which could lead to unnecessary medical treatments or impact mental health.”
The study also found 68% of the account holders had financial interest in promoting the tests.
The senior author says with more social media platforms moving away from fact-checking “the need for stronger regulation to prevent misleading medical information has gained urgency.”
Source: JAMA Network Open
Author Affiliations: University of Sydney
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