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Predictors of changes in physical, psychosocial, sexual quality of life, and comfort with food after obesity surgery: a 12-month follow-up study

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Abstract

Purpose

Although obesity surgery provides significant postoperative improvement in quality of life (QoL), it is still unclear which factors might predict improvement in QoL after surgery. We aimed to determine which factors might predict changes in physical, psychosocial, sexual QoL, and comfort with food 12 months after surgery, by putting to the test a QoL model based on Wilson and Cleary’s model.

Methods

We included 126 obese patients (48.4 % had gastric banding, 34.1 % had sleeve gastrectomy, and 17.5 % had gastric bypass). At baseline, we assessed QoL (Quality of Life, Obesity and Dietetics rating scale), BMI, depression (Beck Depression Inventory), and binge eating (Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh). At 12 months, we assessed QoL and BMI. To determine the predictors for changes in each QoL dimension after surgery, we used linear mixed models adjusted for preoperative age, BMI, time, type of surgery, preoperative binge eating severity, and preoperative depression severity.

Results

After 12 months, we found significant improvement in physical, psychosocial, sexual QoL, but not in comfort with food. Increased weight loss was associated with better improvement in physical and psychosocial QoL. Higher preoperative depression severity predicted poorer improvement in physical, psychosocial, and sexual QoL. Higher preoperative binge eating severity predicted poorer improvement in psychosocial, sexual QoL, and comfort with food.

Conclusions

In addition to weight loss, preoperative levels of binge eating and depression should be considered as important predictors for QoL changes after bariatric surgery. Screening and treatment for preoperative depression and binge eating might improve QoL after bariatric surgery.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Jean-Pierre Chevrollier for his help in assessing the patients. We thank Loïc Benjamin and Susan Benjamin for revising the manuscript in English.

Conflict of interest

PB received financial support from Astra Zeneca (2014), and Lundbeck (2012 and 2014). NB received financial support from AstraZeneca (2010), DNA Pharma (2014) and Lundbeck (2013). JF, CC, ID, CBT, MJ, PC and CR: no conflict of interest.

Ethical standard

Although our study did not require institutional review board approval because it was not considered to be biomedical research under French law, this study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. We also obtained informed consent from each patient to participate in this follow-up study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Équipe de Liaison et de Soins en Addictologie, CHRU de Tours, Tours, France

    Paul Brunault, Julie Frammery & Nicolas Ballon

  2. Clinique Psychiatrique Universitaire, CHRU de Tours, Tours, France

    Paul Brunault, Julie Frammery & Nicolas Ballon

  3. Département de Psychologie, EA 2114 « Psychologie des Âges de la Vie », Université François Rabelais de Tours, Tours, France

    Paul Brunault & Christian Réveillère

  4. Service de Médecine Interne-Nutrition, CHRU de Tours, Tours, France

    Charles Couet, Irène Delbachian, Martine Objois & Patricia Cosson

  5. UMR Inserm U930 ERL, Université François Rabelais de Tours, Tours, France

    Nicolas Ballon

  6. Service de Chirurgie Digestive et Endocrinienne, CHRU de Tours, Tours, France

    Céline Bourbao-Tournois

  7. Inserm UMR 1069, Université François Rabelais de Tours, Tours, France

    Charles Couet

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  1. Paul Brunault
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Correspondence to Paul Brunault.

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Brunault, P., Frammery, J., Couet, C. et al. Predictors of changes in physical, psychosocial, sexual quality of life, and comfort with food after obesity surgery: a 12-month follow-up study. Qual Life Res 24, 493–501 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-014-0775-8

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