Discussion of Weight Loss Surgery in Instagram Posts: Successive Sampling Study

Abstract

Background The majority of American adults search for health and illness information on the internet. However, the quality and accuracy of this information are notoriously variable. With the advent of social media, US individuals have increasingly shared their own health and illness experiences, including those related to bariatric surgery, on social media platforms. Previous research has found that peer-to-peer requesting and giving of advice related to bariatric surgery on social media is common, that such advice is often presented in stark terms, and that the advice may not reflect patient standards of care. These previous investigations have helped to map bariatric surgery content on Facebook and YouTube. Objective This objective of this study was to document and compare weight loss surgery (WLS)–related content on Instagram in the months leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic and 1 year later. Methods We analyzed a total of 300 Instagram posts (50 posts per week for 3 consecutive weeks in late February and early March in both 2020 and 2021) uploaded using the hashtag #wls. Descriptive statistics were reported, and independent 1-tailed chi-square tests were used to determine if a post’s publication year statistically affected its inclusion of a particular type of content. Results Overall, advice giving and personal responsibility for outcomes were emphasized by WLS posters on Instagram. However, social support was less emphasized. The safety, challenges, and risks associated with WLS were rarely discussed. The majority of posts did not contain references to facts from reputable medical sources. Posts published in 2021 were more likely to mention stress/hardships of living with WLS (45/150, 30%, vs 29/150, 19.3%; P=.03); however, those published in 2020 more often identified the importance of ongoing support for WLS success (35/150, 23.3%, vs 16/150, 10.7%; P=.004). Conclusions Given that bariatric patients have low rates of postoperative follow-up, yet post-operative care and yet support are associated with improved health and weight loss outcomes, and given that health content on the web is of mixed accuracy, bariatric professionals may wish to consider including an online support forum moderated by a professional as a routine part of postoperative care. Doing so may not only improve follow-up rates but may offer providers the opportunity to counter inaccuracies encountered on social media.

Follow-Up, Safety, and Satisfaction with Tele-bariatric Follow-Up Implemented During the COVID-19 French Lockdown: a 2-Year Follow-Up Study

“…It seems very likely that this paradigm shift was enabled by a combination of commitment from healthcare providers [26,27], maturing telehealth technologies and the related governing regulations [28], and patient engagement with the dedicated platforms. Thus far, several reports based on online questionnaires have shown that bariatric patients were familiar with using the Internet [29,30] to search for bariatric-related information, with 95.1% of bariatric patients having a connection [31]. Not surprisingly, 80 of the 87 patients (91.9%) in our study population agreed to a first bariatric TC, with only 27.5% of the patients reporting limited web connectivity.…”

Patients’ and caregivers’ perceptions of bariatric surgery: A France and United States comparative infodemiology study using social media data mining

“…We focused on general and publicly accessed sites as well as health-related forums. The results from other studies using other media sources such as Facebook and Instagram demonstrated that giving and seeking recommendations, sharing nutrition-related advice, discussing post-bariatric changes, and sharing experiences after surgery are the most common topics ( 13 , 29 , 30 ). In a previous study, a research group used free word association network analysis to examine the mental and emotional representation of weight loss in bariatric surgery patients on Facebook ( 31 ).…”

Support needs of people undertaking bariatric surgery: A narrative review

“…Social media serves as a repository for users to access and exchange information and to provide and receive support from those with similar experiences 22 . These sites provide the safety of anonymity, which may be one reason why people living with high levels of stigma, including those with obesity, are avid users when seeking health information 57 …”

“…22 These sites provide the safety of anonymity, which may be one reason why people living with high levels of stigma, including those with obesity, are avid users when seeking health information. 57 A recent (Robinson et al 46 ) narrative review concluded that online forums, including social media, offered people going through bariatric surgery a place to seek quick, relatable and supportive advice from others with lived experience, which assisted in decision making. 46 People, especially those long-term post-surgery, look for encouragement and inspiration from social media, less so education.…”