Population Health-Based Machine Learning Reveals Associations Between Psychosocial Factors and Chronic Kidney Disease

Authors:Md. Atik Shams, David Eisenberg, Sumaiya Fatema, Asma Sultana, D. M Hasibul Islam, Junnatul Mawa, Anindita Datta, Nafiya Ahmed, Danastan Tasaouf Mridula, SK. Sazid Mahmud, Simon Bin Akter, Tanjila Helaly, Jorge Fresneda Fernandez, Humayera Islam, Tanmoy Sarkar Pias

Abstract:Chronic kidney disease (CKD) progresses silently and severely undermines quality of life, making early detection critical for improving patient outcomes. We present a two-part study that combines large-scale telehealth data with advanced machine learning to both classify self-reported CKD status and identify key drivers of disease. Using selected features from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS 2021: 438,693 samples; BRFSS 2019: 418,268 samples) and the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS 2021: 29,482 samples; NHIS 2020: 31,568 samples), we addressed missing data with nine state-of-the-art imputation methods and mitigated class imbalance via sampling strategies. Our customized stacked ensemble model achieved balanced accuracy of 72.56-76.12%, with corresponding AUROC scores of 79.59-82.29%. SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analysis, followed by clinical review, highlighted critical predictors, including regular medical check-ups, age, blood pressure, and indicators of mental health stress. These findings deliver a robust and interpretable framework for CKD risk stratification and provide actionable insights into its associated factors.

Machine Learning (cs.LG)

arXiv:2608.17174 [cs.LG]

(or arXiv:2608.17174v1 [cs.LG] for this version)

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2608.17174 arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)