Health Promotion International
Brooke Nickel , Mali Dunn , Emma G Gram , Tessa Copp
This study found that Instagram posts about women’s health often contain health claims that are not supported by scientific evidence and may be influenced by commercial interests. Researchers analysed 472 posts using the hashtag #womenshealth and found that 69% made health claims, but only 7% referred to scientific evidence. More than half (51%) of the accounts had a financial interest in the information they shared, while 39% of posts directly promoted products or treatments for sale. Hormonal and reproductive health, including menopause, were the most common topics, and much of the content came from influencers rather than medical experts. The researchers warn that the growing influence of commercial interests and unsupported health claims could mislead women seeking reliable health advice, highlighting the need for stronger regulation, greater transparency and more involvement from qualified healthcare professionals on social media.