ArticleAlcohol, clinical & experimental research2026
Alcohol-cancer risk communication on social media: A content analysis of alcohol-related Instagram and TikTok posts.
Article in Alcohol, clinical & experimental research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- When Risk Is Invisible: Alcohol-Cancer Communication on Social Media.Alcohol, clinical & experimental research · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundDespite consistent evidence of the relationship between alcohol use and cancer risk, awareness of the alcohol-cancer link remains low among American adults. Given the increasing prominence of social media as a health information source, this study systematically examined samples of alcohol-related Instagram and TikTok posts to identify mentions of the alcohol-cancer link and characterize post content.
methodsWe collected public Instagram and TikTok posts made on or before May 12, 2024, via a hashtag-based search for posts tagged with #alcohol, #beer, #wine, #liquor, and #cocktail. Following an iterative codebook development process, two independent coders qualitatively reviewed random 2% (n = 1666) samples of Instagram posts and 20% (n = 725) samples of TikTok posts. Cohen's κ for each coding category ranged from 0.65 to 1.00 for Instagram posts and 0.61 to 1.00 for TikTok posts, while percent agreement for codes with low training sample prevalence ranged from 96.0% to 100% for both platforms. We examined posts identified as featuring intoxication or binge or high-intensity drinking, having been made by an influencer, featuring alcohol products, and targeting specific groups using inductive thematic content analysis.
resultsAcross both platforms, only one post, a TikTok video, mentioned the relationship between alcohol use and increased cancer risk. Posts often positively depicted alcohol and commonly considered beverages containing large amounts of alcohol as single drinks. 48.6% of Instagram posts were made by commercial entities and 69.7% showed an alcohol product. 68.1% of TikTok posts were posted by influencers, 52.7% were comedic, and 24.7% referenced intoxication, binge, or high-intensity drinking.
conclusionsCancer risk communication is largely absent among Instagram and TikTok posts, which often portray alcohol use in a positive light. Social media represents a critical, yet underutilized, channel for disseminating public health information about the alcohol-cancer link. Content analyses can inform strategic, audience-tailored messaging for improving public awareness.
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