While some health information circulating on social networks is reliable, some of it can be considered ‘harmful’, researchers say. — AFP Relaxnews
The Chinese social network is packed with information of all kinds and in all fields, which can get up to tens of millions of views. This may be of little importance when it comes to showcasing the latest blush, but it can be crucial when the posts in question concern users’ health. Indeed, a new study reveals that much of this information is not based on factual evidence.
Studies and surveys are unanimous: in just a few years, social networks have become sources of information in many fields, including beauty and health. There are countless posts offering advice and tips on how to achieve a radiant complexion, smooth skin and rock-hard abs, as well as how to treat allergies, limit winter illnesses and improve sleep.
In some cases, the lack of reliable evidence for these claims has no impact on users – the flawed advice just doesn’t work – but some information shared by users, or self-proclaimed health influencers, can prove far more dangerous.
This is the finding of a recent study by US researchers, who looked at the health content circulating on the Chinese social platform. It’s worth noting, however, that the scientists are not entirely alarmist on the subject.
“There is high-quality and factual information out there on social media platforms such as TikTok, but it may be very difficult to distinguish this from information disseminated by influencers that can actually be harmful,” said Christopher Roxbury, MD, a surgeon and rhinology expert at UChicago Medicine, quoted in a news release.
For their study, published in the journal Otolaryngology, the researchers analysed health information posted on the Chinese social network TikTok to check whether or not it was erroneous, and to determine its source.
More specifically, the study authors focused on a specific health condition, in this case, hashtags related to sinusitis (#sinusitis, #sinus, #sinusinfection), then conducted their work for a 24-hour period “to limit the effects of TikTok’s ever-shifting algorithm”.
The final step was to classify the resulting videos according to content category, content type and reliability. This was done not just according to the researchers’ judgment, but also using tools such as The Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Material, a validated empirical resource.
Non-factual information in many videos
The researchers found that almost half of the videos studied (44%) contained non-factual information.
“Videos from ‘non-medical influencers’ – content creators with over 10,000 followers who did not self-identify as medical professionals – accounted for almost half of all videos and were more likely to contain misinformation and have lower quality scores. ... Medical professionals overwhelmingly produced educational content and received higher scores for video quality, factual information and harm/benefit comparisons,” the researchers explain.
The academics highlight the dangerous nature of the “proliferation of non-factual videos about medical conditions, treatments or preventative measures”. Not only can these videos put users’ health at risk, but they can also encourage them not to consult a trained health professional, or even to forego essential treatment.
“I frequently have patients in the clinic asking me questions about things they saw online or on social media, and I have found that many times the information has steered patients in the wrong direction,” said the study’s senior author, Christopher Roxbury. “In some cases, I see patients who have already sought out and undergone such treatment without any benefit; in rarer cases, they’ve been harmed.”
The point here is not to criticise social networks, which can prove reliable when it comes to health content, but to alert users and guide them in accessing the best possible information. In this respect, the researchers recommend “cross-referencing information with reliable sources and consulting one’s own trusted healthcare professionals when in doubt”. – AFP Relaxnews
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