As global demand for healthcare rises and recognition of traditional medicine grows, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is receiving increasing internation

Background: As an integral part of the “Healthy China” strategy, healthy aging emphasizes meeting the non-therapeutic health needs of middle-aged and older populations, which is highly consistent with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) concepts. However, empirical studies focusing on the utilization patterns and determinants of such services among the middle-aged and older population remain limited. This study aims to assess the utilization and influencing factors of non-therapeutic TCM services among middle-aged and older people in Guangzhou. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from June to October 2025 among 557 individuals aged ≥45 years old in Guangzhou using a structured questionnaire. Chi-square tests and binary logistic regression analyses were used to identify influencing factors. Results: The overall utilization rate of non-therapeutic TCM services in the past month was 69.7%. Specifically, the utilization rates of health education, preventive health care, chronic disease management, and rehabilitation services were 25.10, 32.70, 28.00, and 30.90%, respectively. Key influencing factors varied by service type: understanding of TCM culture and chronic diseases affected health education utilization; TCM belief, income (≥5,000 yuan/month) and chronic diseases promoted preventive healthcare use; TCM promotion exposure and service satisfaction were associated with chronic disease management; age (≥75 years), regular physical examinations and high-frequency TCM use were associated with rehabilitation service utilization. Conclusion: Non-therapeutic TCM service utilization is relatively high among middle-aged and older populations in Guangzhou, with type-specific influencing factors. Targeted measures (expanding TCM culture promotion, strengthening chronic disease management, optimizing subsidy policies, and enhancing primary TCM service supply) are recommended to further improve service accessibility.

Objective: This qualitative study explores the facilitators, barriers, and behavioral triggers that shape e-health literacy (e-HL) among Chinese older adults with diabetes. Methods: In this descriptive qualitative study guided by the Health Belief Model (HBM), we purposively recruited 19 older adults with diabetes. Semistructured interviews using an HBM-aligned topic guide were analyzed with reflexive thematic analysis to examine facilitators, barriers, and behavioral triggers of e-HL. Results: Thematic analysis identified three themes-facilitators, barriers, and behavioral triggers, six subthemes and twenty-one categories. Facilitators comprised (a) perceived benefits (e.g. ease and convenience of digital health tools, improved self-management and quality of life, trust in institutional/governmental platforms) and (b) self-efficacy (e.g. previous successful digital experience, skill improvement methods, family or peer support). Barriers included (a) perceived barriers (e.g. operational difficulties with digital health tools, lack of time for digital health tools, reliance and preference for traditional methods) and (b) self-efficacy (e.g. lack of confidence and digital skills, and low perceived competence). Behavioral triggers reflected perceived severity/susceptibility (e.g. lifestyle impact post-diagnosis, and anxiety and worries about long-term complications) and cues to action (e.g. recommendations and encouragement from doctors or others, peer modeling and informal learning, health deterioration or new symptoms). Conclusion: The HBM provides a robust explanation of e-HL in older Chinese adults with diabetes, with the model's constructs mapping to the relevant facilitators, barriers, and behavioral triggers. A scalable, three-component strategy targeting the HBM, focusing on the needs of older users and integrating at a system level can sustain e-health adoption and help bridge digital health divides in ageing populations.

Background and purpose: Fertility decline and population aging have become major demographic challenges in China. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the prevalence of third-child fertility intention (TCFI) among reproductive-age populations and further childbearing intention (FCI) among participants with two children in Eastern China, and to examine associated factors. Methods: Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP, CBM, and Wanfang were searched for cross-sectional studies published from 31 May 2021 to 23 August 2026. Two reviewers independently performed study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment. Random-effects meta-analyses were used to estimate pooled proportions and crude odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Eighteen studies involving 31,636 participants were included. The pooled prevalence of TCFI was 6.6% (95% CI: 4.7%−9.0%), and that of FCI was 10.2% (95% CI: 7.4%−13.8%). Subgroup analyses by geographical region, population characteristics, and sample size did not identify a clear source of heterogeneity. Older age, education at or below high school level, rural residence, being married, and lack of pension insurance were associated with higher TCFI, whereas public official status was associated with lower TCFI. Medical insurance was not significantly associated with TCFI. For FCI, no statistically significant associations were identified for age, sex composition of the existing two children, or public official status; however, only a limited number of studies contributed to these analyses. Conclusion: TCFI and FCI remained low in Eastern China after implementation of the three-child policy. Several demographic and socioeconomic factors were associated with TCFI, whereas evidence regarding factors associated with FCI remained limited and inconclusive. Given the substantial heterogeneity and limited evidence for FCI-related factors, these findings should be interpreted with caution. Registry: https://inplasy.com/ , INPLASY(INPLASY202650095).

Cardiomyopathy comprises heterogeneous diseases characterized by structural or functional myocardial abnormalities and caused by conditions such as hypertension and coronary atherosclerotic heart disease. Current management relies mainly on pharmacotherapy and lifestyle interventions, but these approaches are limited by poor bioavailability and adverse effects. Nanoparticles (NPs) can deliver therapeutic drugs to cardiac muscle tissue through passive or active targeting, protecting the drugs they carry from premature degradation. They also show good biocompatibility and minimize damage to healthy tissues. This review summarizes the applications of NPs in cardiomyopathy and their active and passive targeting strategies, and provides a brief overview based on the mechanisms reported in individual published studies. It aims to provide therapeutic strategies for clinical management of cardiomyopathy and a theoretical foundation for future translational research.