Ghina Muhibbatul Jannah; Kurnia Wijayanti; Nopi Nur Khasanah
Background: Preschool age, which is 4-6 years, is a crucial stage in child development. Delays in development and growth in children will have long-term impacts on their cognitive, social, and emotional abilities. Children's diet and parenting styles are greatly influenced by their growth and development. Objective: This study aims to examine how parenting styles and nutritional status are related to the development of preschool children. Method: This study used a quantitative approach with a cross-sectional design and involved fifty parents of preschool children aged between 4 and 6 years. Total sampling was used as the sampling technique. To conduct bivariate analysis, researchers used the Spearman rank correlation test. PSDQ or Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire was used to collect data on parenting styles, Denver Developmental Screening Test II (DDST II) was used to assess child development, and Z scores were used to determine the child's nutritional status. Results: The majority of respondents indicated an authoritative (democratic) parenting style (88%), good nutritional status (88%), and normal child development (80%). There was a significant correlation between parenting style and child development, with p = 0.004 and r = 0.405. Meanwhile, for nutritional status and child development, the p value was 0.013 with r = 0.351. Conclusion: Nutritional status and democratic parenting style were significantly correlated with preschool children's development. Education on balanced parenting and nutrition needs to be strengthened through family-based nursing interventions.