title: Marriage and Weight Loss Surgery: a Narrative Review of Patient and Spousal Outcomes.
abstract: Long-term weight maintenance following weight loss surgery (WLS) may be challenging for patients without supportive spouses. The health behaviors and relationship quality of spouses pre- and post-WLS have rarely been explored, leaving providers with little guidance on how to engage spouses in treatment. The purpose of this review is to synthesize the empirical research on relationship factors and WLS among married couples. The identified articles (N = 13) reported that the amount of weight lost post-WLS tended to be lower for married patients, couples' relationship quality tended to decline from pre- to post-WLS, and sexual contact increased post-WLS. Future research should explore how the relationship factors and quality of couples may influence patients' WLS outcomes over time to identify ways that interventions can enhance the couple's relationship and health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University, 135 Campbell Hall, 1787 Neill Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA. ferriby.2@buckeyemail.osu.edu.
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferriby
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University, 135 Campbell Hall, 1787 Neill Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA. pratt.192@osu.edu.
authors.forename: Keeley J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Pratt
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University, 135 Campbell Hall, 1787 Neill Ave, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA. balke@wcsu.edu.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Balk
authors.affiliation: Center for Wellness and Prevention, The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA. katharine.feister@osumc.edu.
authors.forename: Katharine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Feister
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA. noria.1@osu.edu.
authors.forename: Sabrena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Noria
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA. needleman.3@osu.edu.
authors.forename: Bradley
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Needleman
mesh_terms: D050110:Bariatric Surgery; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000601:surgery*; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D018454:Spouses
keywords: Marriage; Narrative review; Weight loss surgery