Dataset Information

A Qualitative Examination of Emotional Experiences During Physical Activity Post-metabolic/Bariatric Surgery

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Physical activity is critical for weight loss maintenance and cardiometabolic disease prevention after metabolic/bariatric surgery (MBS), but few patients meet recommended levels. While difficulties meeting physical activity recommendations are common in the general population, those who have undergone MBS may have unique psychological barriers to activity that impede success, including negative associations with physical activity that are related to a long history with obesity, weight stigma, and physical limitations. This qualitative study aimed to better understand the positive and negative emotional experiences of post-MBS patients with regard to physical activity to inform the development of an emotion-focused intervention to increase physical activity after MBS.

Methods

Adults who had MBS in the past 2 years completed semi-structured interviews and psychological/behavioral questionnaires. After transcription, a codebook was developed using inductive and deductive methods. Coded data were analyzed using content analysis.

Results

Participants were 23 adults (78% female). Contexts that contributed to positive emotions during physical activity included an enjoyable type of exercise, social interaction, mindfulness during exercise, and mastery. Contexts that contributed to negative affect were more unique to the MBS population, including all-or-nothing thinking about exercise, using distraction, depression, negative body image, exercising only for weight loss, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion

For most participants, emotional factors were relevant in the decision to be physically active and in their ability to maintain their habits. An intervention that encourages factors that lead to positive affect and addresses factors that lead to negative affect could be effective in increasing physical activity following MBS.

Graphical abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11695-021-05807-x.

SUBMITTER: Feig E

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8605775 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES:We hypothesized that physical activity (PA) improves insulin sensitivity in adolescents with severe obesity beyond that attributable to metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS). SUBJECTS/METHODS:StepWatchTM monitors objectively measured PA in 88 participants in the Teen Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (Teen-LABS) study. Primary outcomes included absolute change in fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, and fasting glucose from pre-surgery (baseline) to 6, 12, 24, and 36 months post-MBS. SAS PROC TRAJ generated activity trajectories based on probability and individual participant step count trajectories. Linear regression models were used, adjusted for baseline value, visit, surgical procedure, sex, and percent change in BMI. Additional models adjusted for percent change in iliac waist circumference (IWC) or percent body fat (BF), measured by bio-impedance. RESULTS:Two activity trajectories were identified: more active (MA, n = 13) and less active (LA, n = 75). MA baseline mean daily step count was >6000, increasing to >9000 at 2 years. LA mean daily step count remained at ~4000. Few participants recorded moderate step activity (cadence >80 steps/minute). Still, fasting insulin and HOMA-IR differed in association with activity trajectoy. MA was associated with a greater absolute decrease in fasting insulin (-7.8 ?U/ml [95% CI: (-11.8, -3.7)], p???0.001) and a greater decrease in HOMA-IR (-1.9 [95% CI: (-3.0, -0.7)], p = 0.001), when adjusted for percent change in BMI. The significant independent effect of MA remained when adjusted for percent change in IWC or percent BF. Clinically, 100% of MA trajectory participants normalized fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, and fasting glucose by 6 months and normalization remained throughout the 36 months follow up. In contrast, 76.3 and 65.8% of LA trajectory participants normalized fasting insulin and HOMA-IR, respectively, by 12 months with 28.6% of both remaining normalized at 36 months. CONCLUSIONS:PA is independently associated with improved insulin sensitivity beyond that attributable to MBS in adolescents with severe obesity.