ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Aging and Public Health
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1604370
This article is part of the Research TopicChallenges and Innovations in Healthcare Management and Long-Term Care for an Aging SocietyView all 22 articles
Developing a Proactive Coping Theory-Based Conceptual Framework for Sarcopenia Management in Aging Societies: A Mixed-Methods Study from China
Provisionally accepted
- 1Donghua University, Shanghai, China
- 2Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
- 3Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
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Abstract: This study proposes a public health strategy to combat sarcopenia in rapidly aging societies, addressing systemic gaps in preventive healthcare through a proactive design-driven framework. Using a mixed-methods approach integrating participatory questionnaires (n=1683) and grounded theory-analyzed interviews (n=48), by bridging clinical diagnostics with daily life narratives, our framework constructed a self-evaluated four-stage progression model, this urban-focused tool enables earlier risk identification outside healthcare settings. Stage classification was validated through triangulation of self-reported activity limitations, clinimetric scoring and bio-mechanical assessments. Leveraging the Analytic Hierarchy Process, we decoded dynamic weighting mechanisms among physiological determinants, psychological factors, and fixed environmental parameters, thereby devising a novel mapping algorithm that correlates patient reported disease staging with evidence-based intervention tiers. The resultant three-tier system operationalizes cognitive reframing and behavioral reconfiguration mechanisms to synergistically addresses three critical objectives as a whole: healthcare resource optimization, social participation longevity enhancement, and disability trajectory modulation. This interdisciplinary model positions design as an ecological mediator, transitioning healthcare systems from acute care paradigms to preventive ecosystem orchestration, ultimately fostering equitable health resilience within aging societies.
Keywords: muscle energy attenuation, Sarcopenia, system design intervention, Proactive coping theory, design strategy, aging society
Received: 01 Apr 2025; Accepted: 02 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Dai, Feng, Weng and Mao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Xinqun Feng, Donghua University, Shanghai, China
Yixi Weng, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
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