Construction of an integrated sports-medical-older adults care service system for early health intervention in rural Shandong

With the implementation of the “Healthy China” strategy and the ongoing deepening of population aging, preventive public health services covering the entire life cycle have become a key national development priority. Shandong Province faces severe pressures from rural aging: constrained by rural economic conditions and geographical factors, health and wellness resources are unevenly distributed, and the integration of sports, medical care, and care for older adults services remains highly fragmented. Most existing studies focus on urban settings and emphasize passive care for older adults following the onset of illness; few are oriented toward early health intervention or aim to establish a multi-stakeholder collaborative system tailored to the realities of rural Shandong. Consequently, there is a significant research gap in the field of localized governance of rural aging. Based on Synergy Theory, this study employs a two-stage systematic literature review method to integrate domestic academic literature, international research on aging governance, and official statistics and policy documents. It analyzes the current imbalance between supply and demand for integrated rural services, explores the intrinsic drivers and barriers to interdepartmental service coordination, and ultimately constructs a practical, integrated system of sports, medical, and care for older adults services tailored to rural older adults. The findings of this study can provide optimized policy proposals for rural health and care for older adults in Shandong Province, expand the boundaries of localized practice for Synergy Theory, and simultaneously establish a replicable practical paradigm for promoting the integration of rural public services in aging regions worldwide.