<![CDATA[Stunting remains a significant public health concern in Indonesia and is often associated with inadequate parenting practices that affect a child's nutritional status and growth. This study aimed to examine the association between maternal parenting style and the incidence of stunting among children aged 2–5 years in a rural area of East Java, Indonesia. A cross-sectional analytical design was used, involving 118 mothers who were selected through simple random sampling. Data on parenting styles were collected using structured questionnaires, while stunting was assessed through height-for-age measurements based on World Health Organization growth standards. Parenting styles were categorized as authoritarian, democratic, or permissive. Data were analyzed using the Spearman rank correlation test. The findings revealed that the authoritarian parenting style was the most dominant and was significantly associated with a higher incidence of stunting in children under five. These results underscore the importance of early parental engagement and caregiving approaches in preventing growth failure among young children. Community health workers, including nurses, are encouraged to strengthen parenting education and promote positive parenting styles as part of integrated health services at community health posts.]]>
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