Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Brief Report: Bariatric Surgery Patients’ Communication and Engagement in Activities with Their Children

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:
Obesity Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Children witness parental weight loss from bariatric surgery; however, little is understood about parental engagement and communication with children about weight loss. The purpose of this study is to explore parental engagement in activities and communication about weight loss with children during the bariatric surgery process. Seventy-two pre- or post-surgery parents, living with a child 2–25- years- old, were surveyed using a questionnaire to assess engagement in social and physical activities and communication with children about weight loss, and the Social Support for Exercise and Eating Habits Survey. Multivariate logistic regression determined correlates of engagement and communication, with covariates: child age and perceived weight status, surgery status, and social support. Family discouragement for making eating habit change was associated with an increased odds [OR = 1.21 (CI 1.03, 1.41)] of parents endorsing their weight held them back from social activities. Parents with older children [OR = .88 (CI .78, 1.00)] and children perceived to have overweight/obesity [OR = .18 (CI .03, .96)], and who were post-surgery [OR = 4.78 (CI 1.05, 21.88)] had increased odds of discussing losing weight with their child. The results of this study suggest parents are communicating with their children about weight loss, though more often with older and overweight/obese children.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Martin CB, Herrick KA, Sarafrazi N, Ogden CL. Attempts to lose weight among adults in the United States, 2013–2016 key findings data from the National Health and nutrition examination survey what percentage of adults tried to lose weight in 2013–2016? Hyattsville; 2013. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db313_table.pdf#3. Accessed May 15, 2019.

  2. Higa K, Facs MD, Himpens J, et al. The IFSO Global Registry Third IFSO Global Registry Report IFSO.; 2017. https://www.ifso.com/pdf/fnal-3rd-ifso-report-at-21st-august-2017.pdf. Accessed May 30, 2019.

  3. Rajaee S, Ryder BA, Abodeely A, et al. P-73 Does parental weight loss after gastric bypass affect the weight of children in the household? Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2011;7(3):397.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Pratt KJ, Ferriby M, Noria S, et al. Perceived child weight status, family structure and functioning, and support for health behaviors in a sample of bariatric surgery patients. Fam Syst Health. 2018;

  5. World Health Organization. Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic. WHO TRS. 2000;894:i–xii. 1–253.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Sallis JF, Grossman RM, Pinski RB, et al. The development of scales to measure social support for diet and exercise behaviors. Prev Med. 1987;16(6):825–36.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Pratt KJ, Ferriby M, Noria S, et al. Bariatric surgery candidates’ peer and romantic relationships and associations with health behaviors. Obes Surg. 2016;26(11):2764–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Johnson DR, Young R. Toward best practices in analyzing datasets with missing data: comparisons and recommendations. J Marriage Fam. 2011;73(5):926–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Woodard GA, Encarnacion B, Peraza J, et al. Halo effect for bariatric surgery: collateral weight loss in patients' family members. Arch Surg. 2011;146(10):1185–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Agras W, Hammer L, McNicholas F, et al. Risk factors for childhood overweight: a prospective study from birth to 9.5 years. J Pediatr. 2004;145(1):20–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Sciences, College of Education and Human Ecology, 130 Campbell Hall, 1787 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Haley Kiser, Keeley Pratt & Catherine Van Fossen

  2. Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA

    Keeley Pratt

Authors
  1. Haley Kiser
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Keeley Pratt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Catherine Van Fossen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Haley Kiser.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Statement of Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Statement of Human and Animal Rights

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kiser, H., Pratt, K. & Van Fossen, C. Brief Report: Bariatric Surgery Patients’ Communication and Engagement in Activities with Their Children. OBES SURG 30, 3242–3246 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-020-04562-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-020-04562-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation