Multiple Coupling Mechanisms for Advancing Sports-Medicine Integration: Practical Pathways for Health Promotion and Collaborative Governance in China

Abstract

Sports-medicine integration represents a critical pathway for the synergistic evolution of sports and healthcare systems under China's "Healthy China" strategy. Drawing upon coupling theory and pilot practices of sports-medicine integration across multiple regions in China, this paper analyzes the dynamic relationships between sports and healthcare systems from loose coupling to tight coupling and subsequently to hybrid coupling. Based on modularity thinking, it constructs multiple coupling mechanisms encompassing product modularity, process modularity, organizational modularity, and supporting systematization. Through case studies of typical practices in Tianjin, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Xiamen, Changzhou, and Suzhou, this paper reveals the critical pathways for translating the concept of sports-medicine integration into practical implementation, providing actionable methodological guidance for deepening sports-medicine integration while enriching the application of coupling theory in public health governance.