The utilization, characteristics, and influencing factors of non-therapeutic traditional Chinese medicine services among middle-aged and older population in Guangzhou, China: a cross-sectional study

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.