Social media use among patients before and after metabolic and bariatric surgery: a systematic review

Social media (SM) use among individuals before and after metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) has dramatically increased in recent years, yet the benefits and risks to patients remain unclear. This systematic review sought to synthesize the literature on SM use among individuals pre- and post-MBS. Objectives were to: 1) explore the patterns of SM use in this population, 2) identify the benefits and risks of MBS-focused SM use, and 3) inform clinicians and patients about strategies to more effectively engage with MBS-focused SM. This systematic review was conducted according to the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis and was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023473191). Studies which included a retrospective or prospective examination of SM and MBS were included. A comprehensive search was performed and published scientific articles were examined by three independent reviewers, resulting in 24 full text articles meeting inclusion criteria based on prespecified selection criteria. Results are reported by SM platform including Facebook, YouTube, Online Forums/Websites, X (formerly "Twitter"), Instagram, and TikTok. Findings indicate that SM use among individuals pre- and post-MBS is high and Facebook is the preferred platform. Several benefits of SM use were identified including easier access to large peer support communities, inspiration and encouragement, and easy access to health information. Possible downsides to SM use include problems with the accuracy of MBS content on SM. Given these findings, MBS clinicians can use this information to inform their patients about strategies to promote benefits and reduce potential risks of SM use.