Background

This study explored ways women self-evaluate body image perception and sexual self-esteem based on length of time after bariatric surgery. With little empirical evidence published, information about post-bariatric women’s experiences relies heavily on anecdotal accounts. This study tracked body image and sexual self-esteem of women 12-36 months after bariatric surgery using a mixed-methods approach. The Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire-Appearance Scales (MBSRQ-AS), a pre-tested proprietary research instrument, was administered to a convenience sample of 825 adult women, 18 years of age or older, residing in the US, and having completed bariatric surgery 12-36 months prior to participation. Means from a U.S. National sample (Brown et al., 1990) and combined samples studied by Cash (2018) were compared. Results had a 95% confidence level with a confidence interval of 4.5. The sample was divided into four cohorts according to time since surgery (i.e., 12-18 months, 19-24 months, 25-30 months, 31-36 months) with scores compared to detect possible differences in body-self relations at different stages after surgery. Results report fluctuating variations in body-self relationships, peaking at 12-18 months post-bariatric surgery, fluctuating at 18-36 months post-bariatric surgery, and never returning to its peak. Three additional open-ended questions specific to women completing bariatric surgery were used to inquire about issues particular to this population. Qualitative analysis revealed important concepts, including reactions to bariatric surgery, intimacy, body to self, body with others, affect, relationships, bariatric surgery issues, and overall health, and significant concerns about lack of preparedness with skin flaps, pointing to the need for future research.