<![CDATA[Introduction: Chronic malnutrition among Indonesian children under five remains a challenge despite the implementation of the Supplementary Food Program. his study examined differences in mothers' perceptions of Supplementary Food Program between recipient and non-recipient groups, analyzing five influencing factors: past experience, thinking ability, motivation, feeding time, and social environment. Method: Using a comparative quantitative design, 361 mothers from Pamandati Community Health Center, South Konawe were surveyed through stratified random sampling (146 Supplementary Food Program recipients, 215 non-recipients). Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U test and logistic regression. Result: Highly significant differences in perceptions on all factors. Supplementary Food Program recipient mothers showed more positive perceptions regarding past experience (Mean Rank 223.99 vs 151.80, p=0.000), thinking ability (225.86 vs 150.54, p=0.000), motivation (203.16 vs 165.95, p=0.000), feeding time (237.04 vs 142.95, p=0.000), and social environment (265.37 vs 123.70, p=0.000). Logistic regression identified thinking ability (B=2.817, p<0.001) and motivation (B=2.006, p<0.001) as the dominant predictors, explaining 88.4% of the variation in Not Supplementary Food Program acceptance. Conclusion: The study concluded that mothers' perceptions differed significantly based on all factors studied, with thinking ability as the strongest predictor. Health workers should prioritize educational interventions that target mothers' cognitive abilities and motivation. Local governments need to strengthen the social environment support system. Longitudinal studies with broader coverage are recommended to explore additional success factors in integrated nutrition programs.]]>
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