Influencers’ posts about medical tests tend to be “misleading,” a new study has found, highlighting that this could lead to a risk of overdiagnosis of medical issues. 

Researchers investigated over 900 posts on Instagram and TikTok about controversial medical tests and focused on users with over 1,000 followers. 

Over eight posts out of ten used what the researchers called a “promotional” tone while only six per cent explicitly mentioned evidence about the tests.

“The vast majority of these posts were overwhelmingly misleading,” Dr Brooke Nickel, a research fellow at the University of Sydney who led the study, said in a statement. 

“They are being promoted under the guise of early screening, as a way to take control of your own health. The problem is they are unnecessary for most people and, in some cases, the science backing their efficacy is shaky,” she added.