"Spin" was found in 33% of reviewed infographics and 26% of abstracts and full-text articles, according to new research. The odds of infographics containing spin were not significantly higher than those for abstracts or full texts, with an odds ratio of 1.4 in both comparisons.
A cross-sectional study evaluated the prevalence of "spin" in infographics summarizing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with non-significant primary outcomes, compared with abstracts and full-text articles. Researchers analyzed 119 RCTs published in high-impact medical journals between August 2018 and October 2020.
" 'Spin' is defined as a misrepresentation of study results that overemphasizes the beneficial effects of an intervention or overstates safety compared with that shown by the results," wrote researchers in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine..
Infographics were significantly more likely to present spin in the results section when compared to abstracts and full texts. The odds of spin in the results section of infographics were 2.1 times higher than in abstracts and 4.3 times higher than in full-text articles.
Journals with higher impact factors were associated with slightly lower odds of spin in infographics (OR 0.96 for a 1-unit increase in impact factor) and full texts (OR 0.94). Additionally, infographics summarizing prospectively registered trials were found to be less likely to contain spin, with an OR of 0.2.
The results indicate a need for improved reporting practices to enhance the accuracy and transparency of the research presented.
Full disclosures are available in the published study.