Skip to main content
. 2026 May 26;14:1809153. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1809153

Table 4.

Latent class analysis identifying population characteristic patterns among public participants and primary healthcare workers.

Population Latent Class Class Proportion (%) Key Knowledge Indicator Key Behavior Indicator Demographic / Professional Characteristics Model Fit Indices Classification Quality Between-Class Comparison
Public 3-class model (optimal) AIC = 21483.6 Mean posterior probability = 0.83
BIC = 21794.2
aBIC = 21601.9
Low awareness – low screening 30% CKD knowledge accuracy: 30% Screening rate: 19.6% Age ≥60 years: 45% χ2 = 284.7, P < 0.001
≤Junior high education: 40%
Moderate awareness – moderate screening 45% CKD knowledge accuracy: 50% Screening rate: 33.8% Middle-aged predominant; mixed education levels
High awareness – high screening 25% CKD knowledge accuracy: 80% Screening rate: 80% ≥High school education: 68.1%
Healthcare Workers 3-class model (optimal) AIC = 17842.1 Mean posterior probability = 0.85
BIC = 18196.7
aBIC = 17984.3
Low knowledge – low management capacity 20% Knowledge attainment: 30% Proactive screening: 10% Shorter working years; χ2 = 319.6, P < 0.001
Regular follow-up: 15% Public health positions
Moderate knowledge – moderate management capacity 50% Knowledge attainment: 50% Proactive screening: 30% Mixed professional background
Regular follow-up: 40%
High knowledge – high management capacity 30% Knowledge attainment: 80% Proactive screening: 70% ≥10 working years: 60%
Regular follow-up: 75% Clinical posts: 80%
Adequate laboratory facilities: 70%

The three-class solutions for both public participants and healthcare workers were selected based on lowest AIC, BIC, and adjusted BIC values. Mean posterior probability: public 0.83, healthcare workers 0.85, indicating acceptable classification quality. Exploratory analysis only: the identified latent classes describe patterns in cognition and behavior but cannot be interpreted as causal. Differences across classes are descriptive and intended to highlight heterogeneity in awareness, knowledge, and management capacity among the study populations.