Frontiers in public health
Latent profile analysis of dietary behavior in pediatric patients with short stature: a single-center study in China
By Lin M and Yang X.
Abstract
Objective
To identify potential subtypes of dietary behavior in pediatric patients with short stature using latent profile analysis (LPA) and to explore the factors associated with each latent profile.
Methods
A convenience sample of 308 short-statured pediatric patients was recruited from the outpatient department of Sichuan University of West China Second Hospital from July 2025 to March 2026. Participants completed questionnaires, including a general information questionnaire, the Children's Dietary Behavior Questionnaire and the Children's Depression Inventory. LPA was used to identify the optimal number of subgroups (profiles), and binary logistic regression analysis was used to explore variables associated with profile membership.
