Quality of life and eating behavior of patients indicated and undergoing bariatric surgery/gastroplasty

Abstract

Objective: to describe and compare the quality of life, socioeconomic/cultural characteristics and eating behavior of individuals indicated and undergoing bariatric surgery/gastroplasty. Method: cross-sectional descriptive study, with 154 individuals, divided into three groups: 32 in the pre-surgical period (Group 1), 68 in the post-surgical period of up to one year (Group 2), and 54 in the post-surgical period greater than one year (Group 3).The participants responded electronically to the instruments/questionnaires: 1) Identification form; 2) Questionnaire on dietary behavior and the anatomofunctional conditions of the stomatognatic system; 3) World Health Organization's Abbreviated Quality of Life Assessment - WHOQOL-bref. Results: most participants, general and by groups, were in the fourth decade of life, were female, married, Catholic, seeking health/quality of life/self-esteem as motivation for the surgical procedure. Surgery in the private sector prevailed, and the Bypass was the most performed surgery. The groups differ in relation to the amount of food consumed, the ability to taste the food, chewing, and knowledge about speech therapy. For all domains and total outcome of the quality of life instrument, there was a statistically significant difference between the groups, and this difference was applied to the comparison between G1 and G2 (p=0.00) and G1 and G3 (p=0.00). Individuals who consider themselves overweight present average lower scores for the Physical, Psychological domains and total result of the instrument. Conclusion: Individuals of G1 present worse results in relation to: 1) quality of life when compared to those of G2 and G3; 2) food behavior in general when compared to those of G2 and G3, mainly in relation to: amount of food consumed per meal, taste of food, chewing and knowledge of speech science.