Multidimensional impact analysis of interactive video health intervention on quality of life and clinical rehabilitation indicators in patients with early postoperative bowel obstruction: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the multiple effects of interactive video health intervention on the quality of life and clinical rehabilitation indexes of patients with early intestinal obstruction. Methods: This study included two phases: (1) questionnaire validation (January 2019–December 2020): 152 patients with early postoperative bowel obstruction were enrolled to develop and test the reliability/validity of the Postoperative Quality of Life Assessment Scale for Early Intestinal Obstruction. (2) Randomized controlled trial (January 2021–January 2025): 310 eligible patients (18–75 years, basic cognitive ability, diagnosed with early postoperative bowel obstruction after abdominal surgery) were randomly assigned to a control group (conventional care: condition monitoring, basic treatment, and non-structured health education, n = 132) or a study group (conventional care plus an interactive video health intervention—5 modular videos covering disease knowledge, rehabilitation, and diet, initiated 24 h post-surgery, n = 178). Outcomes included QoL (via the validated scale), clinical rehabilitation indicators (obstruction relief time, hospitalization duration), electrogastrogram parameters, and gut microbiota diversity (16S rRNA sequencing). Results: The validated QoL scale had good reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.821–0.937) and validity (AVE > 0.5, CR > 0.7). In the trial, the study group showed significantly better QoL scores (physiological function: 13.82 ± 5.67 vs. 22.45 ± 3.57; total score: 50.60 ± 6.44 vs. 36.67 ± 7.93; P < 0.001) and clinical outcomes (hospitalization duration: 8.78 ± 1.39 vs. 10.13 ± 1.41 days; P < 0.001) than the control group. The study group also had improved electrogastrogram parameters (e.g., gastric antrum slow-wave amplitude: 194.59 ± 20.76 vs. 151.34 ± 21 µV; P < 0.001) and intestinal microbiota evenness (Shannon index: P = 0.0070) compared to the control group. Conclusion: The disease-specific QoL scale is valid for assessing patients with early postoperative bowel obstruction. The interactive video health intervention effectively improves their QoL and clinical rehabilitation, providing a feasible clinical tool. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT07258017 (September 24, 2025).