Relationship Satisfaction Among Individuals with Severe Obesity Before and After Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery

Metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is a life-changing treatment. However, long-term effects on patients' relationship satisfaction remain poorly understood. Hence, this study aimed to determine how patients' relationship satisfaction levels changed over the four year period following MBS-induced weight loss.

Between September 2015 and June 2018, 145 participants with a preoperative body mass index (BMI) above 35 kg/m² who were scheduled for MBS were recruited. The short form of the Partnership Questionnaire (PFB-K), a standardized self-report measure, was used to assess relationship satisfaction before surgery and then again six months, 12 months, and four years after surgery. Additionally each patient was classified as having an optimal or suboptimal clinical response based on their BMI reduction.

The total body weight loss was found to be 23%, 29%, and 28% at the abovementioned follow-up assessment points. ANOVAs revealed significant effects of time on PFB-K score and BMI. The BMI reduction at four years after surgery significantly influenced the degree of decrease in the self-reported PFB-K score from six months to four years after MBS. No associations between age or sex and PFB-K or BMI were found, nor was there any interaction between relationship satisfaction and age or sex. The highest mean relationship satisfaction score was observed at six months postsurgery. The relationship separation rate at four years after surgery was 22.1%. The number of patients classified as having a suboptimal clinical response more than doubled (16% versus 35%) within the four-year time frame.

MBS was associated with significant weight loss and a short-term increase in relationship satisfaction; however, the mean relationship satisfaction level decreased to the preoperative level after four years. Patients with greater weight loss reported weaker declines in relationship satisfaction. Therefore, efforts to further optimize weight loss may also improve relationship satisfaction.