Objective To investigate the participation of students with different characteristics in presentation-assimilation-discussion class (PAD) teaching and the influence of participation on the effectiveness of PAD teaching, and to provide references for further optimizing PAD and improving the teaching effect in Epidemiology. Methods From October 2021 to January 2022, a total of 144 students majoring health inspection and quarantine enrolled in 2019 of Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences were selected as the research participants and PAD method was used in several chapters of Epidemiology course. Information including learning attitudes, learning habits and learning goals, as well as the participation and evaluation of PAD were collected through an online questionnaire. The teaching effects were evaluated by student′s ability score and basic knowledge score. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to study the independent influencing factors of PAD on teaching effect. Results The scores of students′ participation and teaching effect in PAD were 27.0(6.0) and 30.0(8.0), respectively, while the scores of students′ ability evaluation and basic knowledge were 70.0(20.0) and (81.02±5.84), respectively.Students with different review duration had different scores of PAD participation. The score of those who never reviewed, reviewed 0.5 to 1 hour, and reviewed more than 1 hour were 24.0(5.0), 27.0(6.0), and 28.0(6.0), respectively; students with different willingness to try new learning methods had different scores of PAD participation. The score of those with weak, medium, and strong desire were 24.0(7.0), 27.0(5.8), and 30.0(6.0), respectively; students with different learning objectives had different scores of PAD participation. The score of those who learning for credits, admission to graduate school, and ability improvement were 24.0(2.0), 27.0(6.0) and 28.0(7.0), respectively. There were statistical differences (all P<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the regression coefficient of PAD participation on teaching effect score was β=0.989 (P<0.001), and the regression coefficient of PAD participation on students′ ability score was β=0.552 (P=0.010). Conclusions Students differently due to their different characteristics had different levels of participation in Epidemiology PAD course, which is the major influencing factor of the teaching effect. Teachers should guide students differently due to their different characteristics in PAD teaching, thus to improve student participation and the teaching effect.