Employment Outcomes 2 Years After Bariatric Surgery: Relationship to Quality of Life and Psychosocial Predictors

Objectives Bariatric surgery is the most effective long-term treatment for severe obesity. In addition to sustained weight loss, bariatric surgery can result in improvements in mental and physical health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and, consequently, work capacity. The purpose of our study was to evaluate changes to employment impairment (EI) and related HRQOL in patients 2 years post-bariatric surgery. Methods Prospective data was collected on a cohort of 211 patients who underwent bariatric surgery. The Lam Employment Absence and Productivity Scale (LEAPS) and the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) were used to assess pre- and post-operative EI and physical and mental HRQOL, respectively. Predictors of work impairment changes were analyzed via multiple regression analysis and included demographic variables, history of psychiatric illness, and depression and anxiety self-report measures. Results Significant improvements in employment outcomes 2 years following surgery were noted with 68% of participants reporting an overall decrease in EI (total LEAPS score change = - 2.43 +/- 5.76, p < 0.001), and 44% participants reporting an increase in work productivity (LEAPS productivity score change = - 0.67 +/- 2.38, p < 0.001). Bariatric surgery was also associated with significant improvements in physical (change = 17.41 +/- 10.72, p < 0.001) and mental (change = 2.67 +/- 12.89, p = 0.001). Improvements in HRQOL predicted improvements in work-related impairment and productivity, while history of psychiatric illness predicted was associated with reduced improvement in work productivity. Conclusions Our results provide further evidence of improvement in work productivity and reduction in EI post-bariatric surgery. This study also provides insights into potential predictors of work-related impairment and productivity.