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Article History

Received: 11 July 2025

Accepted: 15 January 2026

First Online: 4 February 2026

Declarations

:

: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

: The Institutional Review Board of Hebei University of Technology approved the study (No. HEBUThMEC2022065) and all participants were informed about the research aims, data (usage) and right to withdraw from the study at any time and then gave written consent. They received strict confidentiality agreements for quantitative data and then analysed the data which had been anonymised to protect individual identities.

: Verbal informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to their involvement in the study. This procedure was approved by the Institutional Review Board. The rationale for using verbal consent, as outlined in the approved ethics application, was that written documentation was not practicable for a portion of the participants due to logistical constraints. The consent process included a clear explanation of the research aims, procedures, confidentiality measures, and the right to withdraw at any time without penalty. The provision of verbal consent was formally witnessed and documented by the research team.