Combination of partial least square structural equation modeling scheme of principal component analysis with importance performance analysis

Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is widely used to assess causal relationships among latent variables, yet its strict assumptions often limit empirical applications. Partial Least Squares SEM (PLS-SEM) offers greater flexibility, but the choice of weighting scheme remains a methodological challenge. This study introduces a PCA-based weighting scheme to improve the stability and accuracy of PLS estimation. Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) is further integrated to identify high-impact but underperforming indicators. Applied to child malnutrition in East Java, the approach reveals that socio-economic conditions most strongly influence food security, parenting, and health-environment services. IPA highlights exclusive breastfeeding as a priority for intervention. The proposed methodological approach strengthens PLS estimation and yields actionable insights for prioritizing policy measures.