Objective:To systematically integrate qualitative research on the real-life experiences of dietary management in post-bariatric surgery patients.Methods:A comprehensive search was conducted in China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang data, VIP, China Biology Medicine disc, Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Embase for qualitative studies on dietary management experiences after bariatric surgery. The search covered all available literature up to May 31, 2024. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool for qualitative research was used for quality assessment. The aggregative Meta-synthesis method was applied to integrate the results.Results:A total of 18 studies were included, yielding 69 core findings, which were categorized into nine subcategories and further synthesized into four overarching themes: current understanding of dietary management; impact of dietary management on patients; dietary management strategies; negative experiences related to dietary management follow-up.Conclusions:Healthcare professionals should enhance education on dietary management for post-bariatric surgery patients, optimize dietary strategies, introduce positive reinforcement mechanisms, and establish a diversified social support system. These efforts can improve patient engagement in dietary self-management and promote comprehensive postoperative recovery.

Objective:To systematically integrate qualitative research on the real-life experiences of dietary management in post-bariatric surgery patients.Methods:A comprehensive search was conducted in China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang data, VIP, China Biology Medicine disc, Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Embase for qualitative studies on dietary management experiences after bariatric surgery. The search covered all available literature up to May 31, 2024. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool for qualitative research was used for quality assessment. The aggregative Meta-synthesis method was applied to integrate the results.Results:A total of 18 studies were included, yielding 69 core findings, which were categorized into nine subcategories and further synthesized into four overarching themes: current understanding of dietary management; impact of dietary management on patients; dietary management strategies; negative experiences related to dietary management follow-up.Conclusions:Healthcare professionals should enhance education on dietary management for post-bariatric surgery patients, optimize dietary strategies, introduce positive reinforcement mechanisms, and establish a diversified social support system. These efforts can improve patient engagement in dietary self-management and promote comprehensive postoperative recovery.