weight loss wellness coaching program at a regional health facility on health behaviors and quality of life .... (IRB) and Sanford Health Institutional Review Board.
Impact of a Weight Loss Wellness Coaching Program on Bariatric Surgery Participants Anita M. Gust, PhD, Concordia College, United States, Bradford Strand, PhD, North Dakota State University, United States Limited research exists on the effectiveness of pre-surgery wellness programs on post-surgical health behaviors for bariatric surgery candidates. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a pre-bariatric surgery wellness coaching program on levels of physical activity (PA), dietary habits, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Questionnaires were distributed to all patients who underwent bariatric surgery and/or participated in a 12-week weight loss wellness coaching program during the years 2009-2012 (n = 782). From the 118 returned surveys (15.0%), 102 participants (age = 51.43 ± 12.98 years, BMI = 29.34 ± 5.72 kg m-2) were placed in either the wellness coaching group (intervention, n = 44) or surgery only group (control, n = 58) on the basis of whether they participated in, and completed, the 12-week program. Wellness coaching participants who elected not to have surgery were excluded from this study (n = 16). Weight (self-reported), weight loss (self-reported), PA (7-day IPAQ-short), exercise motivation (BREQ-2), dietary adherence, a pre- and post-caloric comparison, and HRQoL were analyzed. Although researchers recognize self-reported weight, weight loss and PA via the IPAQ-short may have limitations in this population, significant differences were found. Pre-surgical body mass index (45.97 ± 7.56 v. 45.52 ± 6.67 kg m-2, t(100) = -0.32, p = .75) and time since surgery (28.05 ± 15.53 v. 34.87 ± 20.96 months, t(100) = 1.82, p = .07), were not statistically different between groups. Compared to controls, participants in the wellness coaching group had significantly more weekly vigorous PA time (264.14, ± 472.33 v. 100.17 ± 163.95 min, t(100) = -2.46, p = .02) and total minutes of moderate to vigorous PA time (501.30 ± 544.87 v. 293.88, ± 445.50 min, t(100) = -2.11, p = .04), and total weekly PA energy expenditure (4759.58 ± 5454.9 v. 2877 ± 3043.14 MET min., t(100) = -2.22, p = .03). Significant differences were also found for identified regulation (2.87 ± 0.79 v. 2.22, ± 0.98, t(100) = -3.06, p
