There is growing evidence that highly educated young people from economically developed regions are becoming the main users of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) .

This study adopts a combined variable-centered and person-centered approach grounded in the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model to explore the factors influencing acceptance of TCM. It examines variables such as demographics, chronic disease status, health literacy, traditional cultural identity, and scientific thinking, with a particular emphasis on parents' willingness to seek TCM pediatric treatments for their children.

From July to September 2023, a total of 717 parents were conveniently sampled from a kindergarten, primary school, and middle school in Guangdong Province and surveyed via the self-developed DiggMind online psychological assessment platform. Parents' demographic variables (i.e., gender, age, education, occupation, residence, and chronic illness) were collected, and the six dimensions of the UTAUT model as well as three additional influencing variables (i.e., health literacy, traditional cultural identity, and scientific thinking) were measured using a 6-point Likert scale (with higher scores indicating greater alignment with the respondent's situation). The data were analyzed using path analysis, latent profile analysis, and Logistic regression analysis.

The UTAUT model accounted for 72% of the variance in intentions and actual behaviors related to the use of TCM pediatrics. The latent profile analysis of the six dimensions of the UTAUT model—performance expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, risk awareness, usage intention, and usage behavior—showed that the current sample was optimally categorized into four subgroups. These subgroups, reflecting increasing levels of acceptance toward TCM pediatrics, were labeled as "Resistant""Skeptical""Accepting"and "Firmly Committed". Parents' scientific thinking and traditional cultural identity demonstrated a significantly positive impact on the acceptance of TCM pediatrics (P<0.05), whereas variables such as education level, type of residence, and occupational prestige showed no statistically significant effects (P>0.05) .

This study reveals that the true driving force behind the "higher intellectuals" group's trust in TCM culture lies in their intrinsic qualities, rather than external factors such as education, occupation, or residence. These findings serve as a bridge facilitating the integration of modern scientific theories with traditional medical practices.

越来越多的证据表明，年轻的、高学历的、来自经济发达地区的"高知"人群正成为中医药的主要使用群体。

本研究拟依据技术接受整合（UTAUT）模型，采用变量中心与个体中心相结合的方法，更深入地探究国民中医接受度的影响因素。将人口学、慢性疾病、健康素养、传统文化认同、科学思维等变量纳入考量，聚焦家长是否愿意让孩子接受中医儿科治疗。

2023年7—9月，使用自搭建的DiggMind在线心理测评平台发放问卷进行调查，通过方便取样的方式选取广东省的幼儿园、小学、中学各1所，对717名家长进行问卷调查。收集家长的人口学变量（性别、年龄、学历、职业、户籍、患慢性疾病），采用6级Likert量表（分数越高代表"越符合自身情况"）测量UTAUT模型的6个维度及3个影响因素变量（健康素养、传统文化认同和科学思维）。使用路径分析、潜在剖面分析和Logistic回归分析对数据进行统计。

UTAUT模型对中医儿科使用意向与行为的解释率高达72%。通过对效果期望、社会影响、便利条件、风险认知、使用意向、使用行为UTAUT模型6个维度进行潜在剖面分析，结果显示将样本分成4个亚组的方案相对最优，将本研究样本划分出"抵制组""持疑组""认同组""坚信组"4个中医接受程度逐步递增的亚型。家长的科学思维和传统文化认同对中医儿科接受态度有正向作用（P<0.05），而学历、户籍类型、职业声望等变量的影响无统计学意义（P>0.05）。

本研究揭示出真正促进"高知"群体信赖中医药文化的是他们身上所具备的良好品质而非学历、职业、户籍等外在因素，为现代科学理论与传统医学实践之间的融合搭建了桥梁。