<![CDATA[The unresolved burden of stunting affecting Indonesian children under five years of age officially recorded at 21.5% in 2023 provided the foundational rationale for undertaking the present investigation. This nutritional predicament is postulated to be intrinsically connected to the degree of mothers' comprehension regarding nutritional science and the economic standing of the household, both of which operate as pivotal determinants shaping food procurement decisions and the nutritional adequacy of children's dietary practices. Accordingly, this study aimed to quantify the degree to which maternal nutritional perceptions and household income levels exert influence over dietary consumption patterns among young children attending Dharma Wanita Persatuan Magersari Kindergarten, Krian, Sidoarjo. The study was conducted within a descriptive quantitative research paradigm. Primary data were obtained by distributing structured survey instruments to mothers of children aged 3–6 years, while secondary data were sourced from official school documentation and academically credible literature. Multiple linear regression analysis was employed as the principal inferential technique to examine the directional relationships among the research variables. Empirical findings demonstrated that maternal nutritional perceptions and household income each generated a positive and statistically significant effect on children's dietary consumption patterns both in isolation and in combination at a significance threshold of p < 0.05. The coefficient of determination (R²) yielded 0.750, indicating that 75% of the variability in children's dietary patterns was collectively explained by these predictors, while the residual 25% reflected contributions from variables outside the model. Accordingly, both maternal nutritional perceptions and household income are confirmed as indispensable determinants of early childhood dietary consumption patterns.]]>
