Self-management After Bariatric Surgery: a Comparison Between Support Group Participants and Patients Receiving Individual Dietary Follow-Up

PURPOSE

This study aimed to compare self-management after bariatric surgery between support group participants (the study group) and patients receiving only individual follow-up by a dietitian (the comparison group), and to examine the differences between the two groups regarding the associations of cognitive and emotional factors with self-management.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional comparative study was conducted among bariatric patients who either participated in bariatric support groups during the years 2018-2020 or received only individual follow-up with a dietitian since their surgery. The structured questionnaire included a self-management questionnaire, cognitive variables (eating self-efficacy, eating awareness as independent variables, weight control motivation) and emotional variables (positive and negative affect, emotional eating), and background control variables.

RESULTS

The level of self-management was better in the study group than in the comparison group. The hierarchical regression model showed that in the study group, the control variables contributed negligibly to self-management (step 1), while all independent variables contributed the most (27%) to the explained variance (31%) in self-management (step 2). In the comparison group, the contribution of the control variables was 11.5% of the explained variance, with only lower duration of time since surgery being related to higher self-management (step 1). The independent variables contributed significantly - an additional 14.5% to the explained variance (step 2). Emotional eating was the sole variable related to self-management.

CONCLUSION

The findings emphasize the importance of encouraging patients after bariatric surgery to participate in support groups, as the skills acquired in these groups strengthen the capacity to manage self-care.

Participating in Bariatric Support Groups: the Effects on Self-management Changes

BACKGROUND

This study focused on changes in self-management as the main outcome of participation in bariatric psychoeducational support groups. We assessed the contribution of changes in cognitive and emotional variables to improved self-management among 155 participants.

METHOD

Data for this longitudinal study were collected at the beginning (time 1) and at the end (time 2) of the support groups' 10-session program. The structured questionnaire included self-management (the Bariatric Surgery Self-Management Behaviors Questionnaire), cognitive variables (eating self-efficacy, eating awareness, weight control motivation), and emotional variables (positive and negative affect, emotional eating), as well as background variables.

RESULTS

Significant improvements in self-management and in eating self-efficacy, eating awareness, and emotional eating were found at time 2. The hierarchical regression model showed that the improvements in eating self-efficacy, and in positive and negative affect, contributed significantly to improved self-management. Additionally, a modification effect of negative affect was found.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that participation in psychoeducational bariatric support groups is beneficial to improving one's self-management.

Nutritional Recommendations for Adult Bariatric Surgery Patients: Clinical Practice

Bariatric surgery is currently the most effective treatment for morbid obesity and its associated metabolic complications. To ensure long-term postoperative success, patients must be prepared to adopt comprehensive lifestyle changes. This review summarizes the current evidence and expert opinions with regard to nutritional care in the perioperative and long-term postoperative periods. A literature search was performed with the use of different lines of searches for narrative reviews. Nutritional recommendations are divided into 3 main sections: 1) presurgery nutritional evaluation and presurgery diet and supplementation; 2) postsurgery diet progression, eating-related behaviors, and nutritional therapy for common gastrointestinal symptoms; and 3) recommendations for lifelong supplementation and advice for nutritional follow-up. We recognize the need for uniform, evidence-based nutritional guidelines for bariatric patients and summarize recommendations with the aim of optimizing long-term success and preventing complications.