Food and Health Literacy in Patients Awaiting Metabolic-Bariatric Surgery

Specialized lifestyle programmes for patients undergoing metabolic-bariatric surgery (MBS) are provided to facilitate adjustment and adherence to a healthy lifestyle after surgery. However, pre-programme food and health literacy in MBS patients is often unknown. In the general population, approximately three-quarters of people exhibit sufficient health literacy. This study aimed to examine food and health literacy of patients awaiting MBS and to identify patient-specific factors associated with these literacies.

Patients awaiting MBS completed questionnaires on food literacy (Self-Perceived Food Literacy scale) and health literacy (European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire-16) at the start of a preoperative lifestyle programme. Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to identify associations between multiple variables and preoperative food and health literacy.

Among 216 patients, the preoperative mean food literacy score was 3.49 ± 0.44, on a five-point scale. Furthermore, 96.3% of patients showed sufficient health literacy, with scores of 13 or more out of 16. Patients with sufficient health literacy had higher food literacy scores (β 0.508; 95% CI: 0.208-0.809, p < 0.001).

This study among people living with obesity awaiting MBS suggests that food literacy is comparable, and health literacy is higher than in the general population. These findings emphasize the complexity of the aetiology of obesity due to factors that extend beyond food and health literacy.