From subsistence to nutritional well-being: the role of non-agricultural employment in enhancing the dietary consumption patterns of rural residents in China

Introduction This study investigates the impact of non-agricultural employment on food consumption upgrading among rural residents and examines the underlying mechanisms. Methods Based on data from the 2020 China Rural Revitalization Survey (CRRS), the analysis employs a binary logit model, mediation analysis, an instrumental variable approach, and propensity score matching to empirically assess how non-agricultural employment influences improvements in food consumption structure and quality. Results The results demonstrate that non-agricultural employment exerts a significant positive effect on both structural and qualitative aspects of rural residents’ food consumption, a finding that remains robust across multiple sensitivity tests. Mediation analysis reveals that this effect is transmitted through enhanced health awareness and improved information acquisition capacity—two key pathways linking employment to dietary improvement. Heterogeneity analysis further indicates that the magnitude of this promoting effect varies significantly across age groups and educational levels, highlighting differential responsiveness within the rural population. Discussion These findings suggest that expanding non-agricultural employment opportunities for rural laborers, strengthening public education on nutrition and food safety, improving rural information infrastructure and market service systems, and implementing targeted guidance strategies can effectively unlock the latent potential for food consumption upgrading. Such measures are essential for advancing dietary modernization and fostering integrated rural revitalization.