The Guardian - Social media influencers are ‘fearmongering’ to promote health tests with limited evidence, study finds
Researchers warn of harms of overdiagnosis for generally healthy people as well as the cost of tests themselves.
The research, led by the University of Sydney and published on Thursday in the American Medical Association’s open access journal JAMA Network Open, investigated five tests being discussed on social media despite limited evidence of their benefits for generally healthy people and concerns about overdiagnosis.
These were full-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans; genetic testing claiming to identify early signs of 50 cancers; blood tests for testosterone levels; the anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) or “egg-timer” test, which surveys a woman’s egg count; and the gut microbiome tests.
The study’s lead author, Dr Brooke Nickel, said posts about these tests came from a “wide range” of account holders, from major influencers to “everyday girl-next-door” accounts, as well as news outlets, doctors and the companies making the tests. “Across the board, they were being promoted misleadingly,” she said.
Nickel said the tests were being promoted under the guise of empowerment: early screening as a way for people to take control of their own health. However, as Nickel noted: “These tests carry the potential for healthy people to receive unnecessary diagnoses, which could lead to unnecessary medical treatments or impact mental health.”
Prof Stacy Carter, the director of the Australian Centre for Health Engagement, Evidence and Values at the University of Wollongong, said the study used robust methods and “shows clearly that influential social media posts promote testing and talk up the alleged benefits of testing – even when tests are useless, or potentially harmful”.
“This study adds to the evidence that medical misinformation is common on social media, and suggests we should all think again when an influencer encourages us to get tested,” Carter said.