Exploring multi-dimensional factors correlated with online fresh food shopping: Evidence from rural areas of Hubei Province in China

Online fresh food shopping has emerged as a complementary layer within an evolving hybrid food acquisition practices in rural areas. However, barriers to rural residents’ adoption of online fresh food shopping remain unclear. We drew on three interrelated perspectives of healthy behavior theory, digital divide theory, and last-mile logistics and transport cost theory to investigate the relationships between online fresh food shopping and multi-dimensional factors including preferences for vegetables and fruits, sociodemographics, and built environment in rural China. Data came from a cross-sectional household survey during 2022-2023 consisting of 731 participants living in rural areas of Luotian county, Yingshan county, and Caidian county in Hubei Province, China. Our findings validate the underlying mechanisms and condition boundaries shaping the translation of health motivation, digital capacity, and spatial friction into online fresh food shopping in rural China. Participants being younger, owning motorcycles, having access to broadband internet, and living closer to the main rural roads were more likely to engage in online fresh food shopping. Further, the findings refine our understanding of how the translation of digital capacity and spatial friction into online fresh food shopping is contingent on socioeconomic and contextual factors. Specifically, owning a motorcycle was especially helpful for lower-income families and those in places with more people. Living far from main rural roads made online fresh food shopping less likely, especially for poorer households and those in sparsely populated areas. Higher household income mattered more in sparsely populated areas. Local workers (vs. farmers) were more likely to adopt online fresh food shopping in areas with higher population density. The association between access to broadband internet and online fresh food shopping was stronger among participants with higher household income. Intervention strategies to mitigate barriers and improve equitable access to digital engagement of food purchases for rural residents should be prioritized, especially for more vulnerable populations with economic constraints and those in remote areas with lower population density. • Age, motorcycle ownership, broadband access, and distance to rural main roads shape adoption barriers. • Socioeconomic and transport constraints outweigh health preferences in rural contexts. • The barriers to the adoption of online fresh food shopping varied by household income and population density. • Lower income and higher population density amplify the role of motorcycle ownership in online fresh food shopping. • Lower income and lower population density reinforce the roles of transport access in shaping online fresh food shopping.