TUESDAY, Might 10, 2022 (HealthDay Information)
About one-third of most cancers vitamin data on the social media web site Pinterest is deceptive and posted by companies attempting to promote merchandise, in line with a brand new examine.
“Our outcomes revealed a major quantity of misinformation about most cancers and vitamin,” stated examine co-author Tracy Crane, an affiliate professor on the College of Miami Miller Faculty of Medication.
“There is a pervasiveness of well being claims that aren’t essentially legitimate or coming from dependable sources,” Crane stated in a college information launch.
Crane and colleagues searched Pinterest utilizing phrases like “most cancers recipe” or “most cancers vitamin,” to copy the sorts of queries made by most cancers sufferers.
Almost half the responses to their searches have been on “for-profit” websites. Additionally, quite a few well being claims featured phrases corresponding to anti-cancer, cancer-fighting or cancer-busting.
Many posts exaggerated the flexibility of meals and/or dietary supplements to treatment most cancers. One even claimed a “terminal most cancers affected person reverses illness with anti-angiogenic meals,” which is sort of actually false, in line with the authors.
“Round 33% of the occasions we went to Pinterest, somebody tried to promote us one thing that claimed to be anti-cancer or most cancers cell killing,” Crane stated. “These well being claims could or will not be true. However put your self within the sneakers of a most cancers affected person. They see buzzwords round these merchandise and will robotically be inclined to buy them.”
Posts focused each sufferers and caregivers, and plenty of centered on breast most cancers. Solely about 18% of posters listed any health-related {qualifications}.
The examine findings have been revealed on-line lately within the journal Cancer.
“The important thing takeaway is for sufferers and suppliers to remember that there’s fairly a little bit of misinformation on-line, and that on-line misinformation needs to be a part of the dialog between suppliers and sufferers,” Crane stated.
“Sufferers wish to discover out all they’ll about their illness, however we should be involved for his or her web hygiene and information them to dependable locations to search out data, just like the American Cancer Society, the American Society of Scientific Oncology and the American Affiliation for Cancer Analysis,” Crane added.
She stated well being care suppliers have to determine one of the best methods to assist sufferers decide if on-line data is dependable. They may additionally create handouts and different supplies to assist sufferers and caregivers discover respected sources.
“We dwell in a digital world now, and that basically modifications how individuals get their data. Suppliers want to concentrate on this and reply,” Crane stated. “We should be asking extra questions on the place persons are getting their data and the way that could be affecting their well being.”
Extra data
To be taught extra about vitamin for most cancers sufferers, go to the American Cancer Society.
SOURCE: College of Miami Miller Faculty of Medication, information launch, April 5, 2022
By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter
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