Evolving trends shaping future of healthcare

Wang Xuan, a 20-year-old student at Beijing Foreign Studies University, spent her Friday morning not in class or at the library, but waiting in line on the campus sports field. She was waiting for a free traditional Chinese medicine consultation offered by students from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine.

"I've been curious about TCM for a while, and I want to check my health," Wang said, glancing at the practitioners leaning over desks, taking pulses and getting advice.

Wang is among a growing number of young Chinese for whom personal wellness is no longer occasional — it has become a daily focus. Across campuses and cities, Generation Z — those born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s — is increasingly investing time, money and attention into monitoring and improving their health, helping to drive a booming youth health and wellness market.

According to the 2025 Health Consumption Trend Report for Generation Z, published in April 2025, more than 60 percent of China's Gen Z are paying close attention to their personal health. About 37.9 percent track daily physical data such as steps taken or sleep patterns, while 28.3 percent undergo regular health checkups.

A complementary survey by Accenture, covering consumers across first — to fifth-tier cities, also highlights that younger generations, particularly those born in the 1990s and 2000s, attach heightened importance to health and wealth, integrating daily exercise and wellness monitoring into their lifestyles.

This transformation, experts say, is rooted in both structural change and personal pressure.

"The current surge in 'light wellness' and intelligent health consumption is largely driven by upgraded demand, though it is also intertwined with elements of herd behavior," said Yuan Shuai, deputy head of the investment department at the China City Development Academy.

As awareness of the Healthy China Initiative spreads, younger consumers are forming health management habits earlier than previous generations. At the same time, long working hours, screen exposure and urban stress have created a sense of urgency around physical well-being.

"The demand is not abstract, it is shaped by real-life pressures," Yuan said. "Young people are looking for solutions that fit into fast-paced lifestyles."

Unlike their parents, who often relied on slow, experience-based approaches such as herbal soups or long-term supplementation, younger consumers are gravitating toward convenience, immediacy and measurability, he said.

"Health management is no longer confined to the home or clinic. It is embedded in fragmented moments — during commutes, in office breaks, even before sleep," said Yuan.

Accenture's 2025 survey describes this shift as part of a broader "rational upgrade" and "demand reconstruction", where young consumers actively compare options, seek personalized experiences and integrate health, wealth and learning into daily life.

Portable moxibustion devices, sleep-tracking wearables and eye-care supplements designed for heavy screen users have all gained traction. The logic has shifted from "long-term conditioning" to "instant relief plus continuous monitoring".

"Health behaviors are becoming data-driven," said Yuan. "People want to see results — something they can track, measure and adjust."

This trend is reinforced by Accenture's survey, which found that 37 percent of Chinese consumers already use artificial intelligence-assisted tools in their daily decisions, viewing intelligent systems as lifestyle companions — a tendency especially pronounced among younger adults.

At Xiyuan Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, efforts are underway to make traditional Chinese medicine more accessible, and more appealing, to younger consumers.

The hospital has introduced a range of lifestyle-oriented products, including herbal tea drinks, scented sachets, aroma bracelets and aesthetic calendars, blending medical knowledge with elements of design and daily use.

Beyond consumer products, technology is playing an increasingly prominent role. At the 2025 China International Fair for Trade in Services in September, visitors gathered around a compact meridian-regulating robot showcased by the hospital.

Zhang Lu, deputy director of the hospital's acupuncture department, said the robot integrates multiple physical mechanisms — including heat, magnetism and deep vibration — and is capable of automatically identifying body markers and planning treatment paths.

In another demonstration of digital integration, the hospital has developed a diagnostic system that collects data from the tongue, pulse, facial features and patient inquiries to generate personalized assessments.

The system, trained on extensive clinical data, has achieved a diagnostic consistency rate of over 80 percent and is already being used in grassroots medical institutions.

Building on innovations showcased in medical settings, companies are now translating AI capabilities into consumer products, offering practical, data-driven wellness tools for everyday use.

Xilinmen, a leading Chinese mattress brand, launched the H300 smart mattress in March, integrating AI-driven sensing, adaptive support and personalized sleep monitoring. The mattress can adjust independently to different sleep positions, provide rhythmical massage, and connect with smart home devices.

According to the company's tests, deep sleep duration increased by 20.7 percent and restless sleep decreased by 50 percent.

"Young people's health consumption has shifted from passive treatment to proactive prevention, and from rough supplementation to refined management," said Wang Peng, a researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences.

The implications extend beyond individual behavior, he said. "As health consumption becomes increasingly scenario-based — spanning work, leisure and home environments — it is placing new demands on supply chains and product development."

Wang Peng said that manufacturers are expected to respond more quickly to fragmented, real-time needs, while ensuring consistency and quality across diverse product lines. At the same time, companies are being pushed to rethink their approach to innovation.

"The focus should shift from product-centered to scenario-centered development," he said. "It's about understanding real user behavior, not creating artificial demand."

However, the rapid expansion of the health and wellness market has also exposed underlying challenges.

Influenced by social media trends, some young consumers may treat wellness as a fashionable label rather than a long-term commitment. Products promising quick results — often backed more by marketing than by science — have proliferated, raising concerns over misinformation and exaggerated claims.

Experts say clearer standards are needed to guide both producers and consumers. "Health products should be supported by scientific validation, not just promotional language," Wang Peng said, calling for standardized testing systems and third-party verification.

Regulators, meanwhile, face the task of balancing innovation with oversight, adopting flexible approaches for emerging products while cracking down on false advertising, he said.

Cross-sector collaboration is also driving transformation. In March, healthcare provider Meinian Onehealth announced a strategic partnership with Ant Group's healthcare platform to create an integrated model combining AI-powered consultations, offline services and post-treatment management.

The value of health management should not be confined to a single checkup or consultation, but should extend across a user's long-term health journey, said Yu Rong, chairman of Meinian Onehealth.

Zhang Junjie, vice-president of Ant Group and president of the company's health business unit, emphasized that AI is becoming an important gateway for users to access health services.

"Our collaboration with Meinian Onehealth is helping to forge closer links between digital health platforms and professional service networks," he said. "Through such efforts, we aim to enable users to identify potential health risks earlier in their daily lives and gain easier access to high-quality, sustainable health management services."

yinmingyue@chinadaily.com.cn