Effectiveness of an Early Postoperative Nurse-Led, Individualized Counseling Program on Lifestyle Adherence After Bariatric Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial (PONLCP)

October 31, 2026 updated by: Ali Malik Tiryag, University of Basrah

Bariatric surgery can help people achieve significant weight loss and improve obesity-related health conditions. However, maintaining these benefits requires long-term adherence to recommended lifestyle changes, including healthy eating habits, regular physical activity, taking prescribed vitamin and mineral supplements, following medication recommendations, and attending scheduled postoperative appointments.

Some patients experience difficulties following these recommendations during the first months after surgery, which may affect their recovery and long-term health outcomes.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether an early postoperative, nurse-led, individualized counseling program can improve adherence to lifestyle recommendations among adults who have undergone bariatric surgery.

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. The intervention group will receive an individualized counseling program delivered by a trained nurse, in addition to routine postoperative care. The program will focus on identifying individual barriers to lifestyle adherence, providing tailored education and counseling, setting realistic goals, developing personalized action plans, and reinforcing recommended self-management behaviors. The control group will receive routine postoperative care.

The study will assess participants' adherence to recommended postoperative lifestyle behaviors, including dietary recommendations, physical activity, vitamin and mineral supplementation, medication use, and attendance at scheduled follow-up appointments.

It is hypothesized that participants receiving the individualized nurse-led counseling program will demonstrate better adherence to postoperative lifestyle recommendations than those receiving routine care alone.

The findings may help identify an effective nursing approach to supporting patients during early recovery after bariatric surgery and maintaining recommended lifestyle changes.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

**Background and Rationale**

Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for severe obesity and is associated with substantial weight loss and improvement in obesity-related comorbidities. However, the long-term effectiveness of bariatric surgery depends not only on the surgical procedure but also on patients' ability to maintain recommended postoperative lifestyle behaviors.

Following bariatric surgery, patients are expected to adopt several behavioral and self-management recommendations, including adherence to staged dietary progression, appropriate food choices and portion sizes, adequate protein and fluid intake, regular physical activity, lifelong vitamin and mineral supplementation, adherence to prescribed medications, and attendance at scheduled postoperative follow-up appointments.

The early postoperative period represents an important stage for establishing these behaviors. During this period, patients may experience difficulties adapting to dietary restrictions, maintaining physical activity, remembering supplementation schedules, understanding postoperative recommendations, and managing practical or personal barriers to adherence.

Although routine postoperative education provides essential information, standardized educational approaches may not adequately address the individual needs and barriers experienced by each patient. A personalized nurse-led counseling approach may provide additional support by identifying individual challenges, tailoring educational messages, facilitating realistic goal setting, and strengthening patients' ability to manage postoperative lifestyle recommendations.

**Study Aim**

The aim of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of an early postoperative, nurse-led, individualized counseling program in improving adherence to recommended lifestyle behaviors among adults following bariatric surgery.

**Intervention Overview**

The intervention will consist of a structured, individualized counseling program delivered by a trained nurse in addition to routine postoperative care.

The counseling program will be designed to address the multiple behavioral requirements associated with postoperative bariatric care. Its main components will include:

  1. Individualized assessment: Identification of patients' current self-management practices, educational needs, perceived barriers, and difficulties in following postoperative recommendations.
  2. Dietary adherence counseling: Reinforcement of recommended postoperative dietary progression, portion control, appropriate food selection, protein intake, hydration, and strategies for managing common eating-related difficulties.
  3. Physical activity counseling: Guidance on gradually adopting appropriate physical activity according to the patient's postoperative recovery stage and clinical recommendations.
  4. Vitamin and mineral supplementation: Education about the importance of prescribed supplementation, appropriate administration, and strategies to improve consistency of use.
  5. Medication adherence: Counseling regarding prescribed postoperative medications and strategies to overcome medication-taking difficulties.
  6. Follow-up appointment adherence: Reinforcement of the importance of scheduled postoperative clinical visits and strategies to prevent missed appointments.
  7. Personalized goal setting and action planning: Development of realistic, individualized behavioral goals and practical action plans based on each patient's identified needs.
  8. Reinforcement and teach-back: Assessment of patients' understanding of recommendations through teach-back and reinforcement of important self-management messages.

The intervention will be delivered according to a standardized counseling protocol while allowing individualization based on participants' needs and identified barriers. Intervention fidelity will be supported through standardized educational materials and a structured counseling checklist.

**Control Group**

Participants assigned to the control group will receive routine postoperative care according to the standard practices of the participating clinical setting. This may include routine clinical follow-up and standard postoperative education provided by the healthcare team. No additional structured individualized nurse-led counseling program will be provided to this group.

**Study Hypothesis**

The study hypothesizes that adults receiving early postoperative individualized nurse-led counseling, in addition to routine postoperative care, will demonstrate greater adherence to recommended lifestyle behaviors than adults receiving routine postoperative care alone.

The study will provide evidence regarding the potential contribution of individualized nursing counseling to postoperative self-management and adherence following bariatric surgery.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
128

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Iraq
    • Basrah
      • Basra, Basrah, Iraq, 61004
        • College of Nursing, University of Basrah
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

**Inclusion Criteria**

  1. Adults aged 18 years or older.
  2. Patients who have undergone bariatric surgery (e.g., sleeve gastrectomy or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass).
  3. Patients in the early postoperative period following bariatric surgery.
  4. Patients who are medically stable and able to participate in the nurse-led counseling sessions.
  5. Patients who are able to understand and communicate in Arabic.
  6. Patients who are willing to participate and provide written informed consent.

**Exclusion Criteria**

  1. Patients who experience major postoperative complications or require prolonged hospitalization that prevents participation in the counseling program.
  2. Patients with severe cognitive impairment or communication difficulties that prevent them from understanding the counseling sessions or completing the study assessments.
  3. Patients who are participating in another structured behavioral or lifestyle counseling intervention during the study period.
  4. Patients who are unable or unwilling to complete the planned follow-up assessments.
  5. Patients who have previously undergone bariatric surgery (revision surgery), if the study is restricted to patients undergoing their first bariatric procedure.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Early Nurse-Led Individualized Counseling Group

Participants will receive an early postoperative nurse-led individualized counseling program in addition to routine postoperative care. The program will include individualized assessment of lifestyle adherence barriers, tailored education, dietary adherence counseling, physical activity guidance, vitamin and mineral supplementation, medication adherence support, follow-up appointment adherence, personalized goal setting, action planning, and teach-back. Counseling will be tailored to each participant's needs and postoperative recovery stage.
Behavioral: Early Postoperative Nurse-Led Individualized Lifestyle Counseling Program

A structured, early postoperative nurse-led individualized counseling program designed to improve adherence to lifestyle recommendations among adults following bariatric surgery. The intervention includes individualized assessment of adherence barriers and self-management needs, tailored education and counseling on postoperative dietary recommendations, physical activity, vitamin and mineral supplementation, prescribed medication use, and attendance at scheduled follow-up appointments. Participants will receive personalized goal setting, action planning, problem-solving support, and teach-back to reinforce understanding and adherence. Counseling will be tailored to each participant's needs and stage of postoperative recovery and will be delivered in addition to routine postoperative care by a trained nurse using a standardized intervention protocol.
No Intervention: Usual Postoperative Care Control Group

Participants will receive routine postoperative care according to the standard practices of the participating bariatric surgery center. Routine care may include standard postoperative education, scheduled clinical follow-up, and usual recommendations regarding diet, physical activity, vitamin and mineral supplementation, and prescribed medications. Participants will not receive the additional structured nurse-led individualized counseling program.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Dietary Adherence Score from Baseline to Follow-Up
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks after randomization.

Dietary adherence will be assessed using a validated questionnaire or structured assessment tool appropriate for patients following bariatric surgery. The assessment will evaluate adherence to recommended postoperative dietary practices, including dietary progression, portion control, food choices, protein intake, and hydration recommendations. Scores will be measured at baseline and follow-up, and changes will be compared between the intervention and control groups. Scoring will follow the selected instrument's guidelines.
Baseline and 12 weeks after randomization.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Physical Activity Adherence from Baseline to Follow-Up
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks after randomization

Adherence to recommended postoperative physical activity will be assessed using an appropriate validated physical activity assessment tool. The assessment will evaluate participants' engagement in physical activity according to postoperative recommendations and their recovery stage. Changes from baseline to follow-up will be compared between the intervention and control groups.
Baseline and 12 weeks after randomization

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Basrah

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Study Chair: Ali M Tiryag, PhD, College of Nursing, University of Basrah

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
November 13, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 20, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 30, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
October 31, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 31, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 5, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 5, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
October 31, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
October 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 3/7/1669

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared with other researchers. The study data will be used exclusively for the purposes of the present research. Participant confidentiality and data privacy will be maintained in accordance with institutional ethical requirements and applicable data protection regulations.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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