Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Oct 9, 2025
Date Accepted: May 19, 2026
Online Social Interaction and Neighborhood Perception in Charitable Giving for Seriously Ill Patients: Cross-Sectional Study of the Mediating Role of Social Capital
ABSTRACT
Background:
Online public welfare and donation-based crowdfunding have rapidly expanded, motivating individuals to engage in charitable giving through digital platforms. However, the influence of online social interactions and offline neighborhood perceptions on donation behaviors remains underexplored.
Objective:
This study investigates how online social interactions shape individuals’ intentions to donate to seriously ill patients through the mediating role of online social capital and the moderating effect of neighborhood perception, integrating online and offline social contexts to explain donation behaviors.
Methods:
Data were collected from the “3C” (Caring for Children with Cancer) Health Care Volunteer Community in Guizhou, China. Established scales measured online social interaction, social capital, donation intention, and neighborhood perception. A total of 450 valid responses were obtained between August and October 2023, with a 91.46% response rate.
Results:
Online social interaction was positively associated with donation intention. Bridging and bonding social capital mediated this relationship, with bonding social capital showing a full mediation effect. Neighborhood perception strengthened the positive links between online interaction, social capital, and donation intention, confirming the moderated mediation model.
Conclusions:
Online social interaction increased donation intentions to seriously ill patients via bridging and bonding social capital, with bonding ties fully and bridging ties partially mediating the effect. Neighborhood perception strengthened these pathways, indicating that offline social contexts can amplify online engagement’s impact on charitable giving. These findings highlight the intertwined roles of online interaction and offline community context in fostering social capital and promoting donation behaviors.
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Copyright
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