Assessment of sexual functioning and health among bariatric surgery candidates

Abstract

Obesity is a public health concern with an estimated annual societal cost of at least $147 billion (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2011; Low, Chew Chin, & Deurenber-Yap, 2009). However, it has only been in recent years that it has begun to receive wide-spread attention in the United States; highlighted by the American Medical Association to classify obesity as a disease that requires treatment. Beneath the figures, though, are the individual lives affected by obesity, a stigmatizing condition that directly and indirectly impacts quality of life. The poorer quality of life seen in obese populations is associated with lower self-esteem, impaired sexual functioning, and increased mental and behavioral health difficulties (Assimakopoulos et al., 2011; CDC, 2011). Of these problems, the issue of sexual functioning among obese populations, regardless of marital status or sexual orientation, is often overlooked (Al-Hasani & Zohnl, 2008). Thus, the aim of this project was to heighten clinicians' awareness of the intersection of obesity and sexual functioning; specifically, those who are undergoing bariatric surgery, and the lack of pre-surgical assessment regarding this area of functioning. The objectives of the current study were three-fold: (a) to conduct a systematic literature review and gather information from experts in the field regarding the assessment of sexual functioning and health, (b) to explore how the lack of assessing for these areas of life could affect psychosocial functioning post-operatively when weight is lost, and (c) to disseminate these findings at a professional presentation. The presentation illuminated the gaps in the literature to an audience at the University of California, Los Angles Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, and also explored data collected from expert clinicians. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by addressing your request to ProQuest, 789 E. Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346. Telephone [phone]; e-mail: [email protected]