Digital Skills and Food Safety Shape Rural Diets in China

The researchers examined how countryside residents in China use technology and what they eat. They drew on information from the 2020 China Rural Revitalization Survey. A statistical tool called multiple linear regression was applied to uncover links between tech know‑how, how safe people feel their food is, and diet quality. A bootstrap mediation test was also run to see if the sense of food safety sits between digital abilities and healthier eating.

The findings revealed that individuals with stronger digital skills tended to follow a healthier diet. The measured effect was modest but statistically significant (effect size 0.076, p < 0.001). The feeling of food safety explained a portion of this relationship, covering roughly 22 % of the total impact. In practice, when people were more confident about food safety, their digital abilities were more likely to result in better nutrition.

The influence differed across regions and age groups. The mediating role of safety perception was most pronounced in central and western rural zones. Age also played a part. Older adults showed a larger mediating effect (28.57 %) compared with younger participants (14.50 %). This pattern suggests that combined programs on tech training and safety awareness could help narrow the urban‑rural well‑being gap.

The study highlights a fresh perspective: digital skills alone are insufficient, but when paired with a solid view of food safety, they can drive healthier choices. Decision‑makers can use these insights to craft initiatives that teach both technology use and safety concepts, supporting rural families in enjoying better nutrition during the digital era.