Background: Post bariatric procedure patients have demonstrated an increase susceptibility to alcohol misuse from physiological and psychological mechanisms. The consumption of alcohol in Australia, particularly in regional areas, places a considerable number of patients into high risk for misuse disorders. Regional Australia has increased rates of obesity with a concurrent increase in prevalence of bariatric procedures, due to improved accessibility. We hypothesise that these regional patients will be at a higher risk of alcohol use disorder based on the relationship between their social determinants of health. This study aims to emphasize this link to encourage improved awareness and resources to this population subset.
Methodology: A retrospective analysis of 1076 adult patients admitted to Toowoomba Hospital's acute surgical unit over 12 months assessed bariatric procedure history and alcohol consumption using the AUDIT-C tool. Bariatric and non-bariatric groups were compared using t-tests. Bariatric procedure type and time since procedure was included for analysis.
Results: Of 1076 patients included, 83 underwent previous bariatric surgery (56 gastric sleeve, 22 Roux-en-Y, 5 other). The bariatric group exhibited significantly higher AUDIT-C scores (5.8 vs. 4.1, p<0.05) compared to non-bariatric patients. No significant differences were found among bariatric procedure types. Time since procedure was associated with increased AUDIT-C score.
Conclusion: This study highlights elevated alcohol consumption among patients with previous bariatric surgery, regardless of the type, in the regional setting. It emphasises the high baseline alcohol use in non-bariatric procedure patients. Targeted psycho-social support and post-surgery follow-up are crucial to address this emerging issue.