Quantitative Analysis of Chronic Disease Prevention and Treatment Policy Texts in China: Three-dimensional Framework Based on Policy Tools, Policy Evolution and Policy Subjects
摘要
Background China is increasingly emphasizing the prevention and control of chronic diseases, with the number and variety of related policies showing a growing trend. With the intensification of population aging, multimorbidity has become a critical challenge in the field of public health, necessitating the urgent optimization of relevant policies. Objective This study aims to reveal the characteristics and priority areas of chronic disease policies and identify potential directions for policy improvement. Methods Based on a three-dimensional framework of policy tools, policy evolution, and policy actors, content analysis was conducted using NVivo 20.0 software to encode and classify relevant policy documents issued from January 2009 to January 2024. Social network analysis was applied using Ucinet 6.0 software to examine the collaboration network among policy actors, and statistical analyses were performed using Excel 2021. Results Analysis of the 68 included policy documents identified a total of 279 references to policy tool usage, comprising 135 instances of supply-side tools, 27 instances of demand-side tools, and 117 instances of environmental tools. The General Office of the State Council accounted for the highest proportion of policy tool references (35.48%, 99/279), while the National People's Congress (NPC) and its Standing Committee accounted for the lowest (2.87%, 8/279). In the social network analysis, the collaboration network density among policy actors was 0.631, with the National Health Commission exhibiting the highest centrality. Further analysis of the 68 policies revealed an increasing trend in both the number and variety of policy tools as policies evolved, though supply-side tools remained predominant (35 policies). The NPC and its Standing Committee were involved in relatively few policies (3 policies). Moreover, only 10 out of the 68 policies addressed multimorbidity. Conclusion The results indicate structural imbalances in the use of po