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Article History

Received: 22 February 2025

Accepted: 28 April 2026

First Online: 29 May 2026

Competing interests

: The authors declare no competing interests.

: This research was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki, including its subsequent amendments and other relevant ethical guidelines. The study received ethical approval on September 17, 2025, from the Academic Ethics Committee of Nanfang College Guangzhou (approval number: NF2025082901). Ethical approval was obtained retrospectively, as the data collection had been completed prior to formal ethics approval. At the time of data collection, the study involved an anonymous, voluntary online survey using structured Likert-scale questionnaires, posed minimal risk to participants, and did not involve sensitive personal information or vulnerable populations. According to the “Measures for the Ethical Review of Life Science and Medical Research Involving Humans” (2023), research using anonymized data that does not involve harm to participants or sensitive personal information may be exempt from prior ethical review. The retrospective ethical approval was subsequently reviewed and formally approved by the institutional ethics committee. The approval covered the study design, participant recruitment, anonymous data collection via structured Likert-scale questionnaires, methods, and related procedures. The committee confirmed that the study met applicable ethical standards for research involving human participants.

: Informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to their participation in the study in July 2024. Participants were required to read and agree to a written consent statement before completing the questionnaire. The consent statement clearly outlined the study’s purpose, the scope of data collection, and the intended use of the research results. Participants were assured that their anonymity and confidentiality would be strictly maintained, and that the collected data would be used exclusively for research purposes and would not be disclosed to any third parties. Participation was entirely voluntary, and participants could withdraw from the study at any time without any consequences. There were no foreseeable risks associated with participation in this study.