Physical Activity Patterns Among Individuals Before and Soon After Bariatric Surgery

Area of Science:

• Bariatric surgery outcomes
• Obesity research
• Physical activity and weight management

Background:

• Post-operative physical activity is crucial for weight loss and maintenance after bariatric surgery.
• Previous studies show minimal changes in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) over 6 months post-surgery.
• Early post-operative changes in MVPA remain understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess changes in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during the early post-operative period after bariatric surgery.
• To compare objective accelerometer data with patient self-reported activity levels.
• To understand patient expectations versus actual physical activity levels post-surgery.

Main Methods:

• Objective assessment of MVPA using accelerometers (ActiGraph GT3X) for 7 days pre- and post-surgery.
• Definition of MVPA based on a walking cadence of ≥100 steps per minute.
• Subjective assessment of anticipated and perceived post-operative physical activity using a 7-point scale.

Main Results:

• No significant change in daily MVPA minutes was observed between pre-operative (1.5 ± 2.1 min/day) and post-operative (2.6 ± 5.6 min/day) periods.
• Patients significantly overestimated their post-operative physical activity levels (predicted 2.8 ± 0.4 vs. actual 1.9 ± 1.0).
• Despite overestimation, self-reported activity levels remained higher than predicted minimums.

Conclusions:

• Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) does not increase in the early post-operative phase following bariatric surgery, contrary to patient expectations.
• The early post-operative period presents a critical window for behavioral interventions to promote physical activity.
• Future research should focus on strategies to enhance physical activity during the initial recovery phase to support long-term weight management.