ABSTRAKLatar belakang: Proporsi balita gizi lebih dan gizi kurang masih cukup tinggi di Indonesia. Penanggulangan masalah gizi sangat penting dilakukan karena memiliki dampak kesehatan jangka panjang. Penyelesaian masalah gizi buruk dan gizi lebih di Indonesia terkendala dengan kurangnya efektivitas program intervensi dan pola asuh yang diberikan orang tua kepada anak. Salah satu hal yang mempengaruhi keberhasilan penanggulangan masalah gizi adalah persepsi orang tua terhadap status gizi balita.Tujuan: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menilai persepsi orang tua terhadap status gizi balita yang dikelompokkan antara berat badan atau tinggi badan menurut umur.Metode: Penelitian menggunakan desain potonglintang dengan memberikan kuesioner penilaian persepsi kepada orangtua yang memiliki anak balita dan datang ke posyandu di 11 Padukuhan di Kecamatan Seyegan, DI Yogyakarta. Penelitian berfokus pada penilaian persepsi orang tua terhadap berat badan dan tinggi badan anak menurut umur dan apakah orang tua mengalami underestimasi atau overestimasi terhadap status gizi anak-anaknya.Hasil: Terdapat 89 responden yang bersedia mengikuti penelitian ini. Dari jumlah tersebut, 27 orang tua (30%) memiliki overestimasi bahwa anaknya gemuk atau normal, padahal apabila menurut kurva z-skor, anak tergolong kurus. Terdapat 10 orang tua (11,2%) underestimasi terhadap tinggi badan anak yang sebenarnya normal atau tinggi namun dianggap pendek. Sebaliknya, 5 orang tua (5,6%) mengalami overestimasi dengan menganggap tinggi badan anaknya normal atau tinggi padahal sebenarnya tergolong pendek menurut kurva z-skor.Kesimpulan: Masih terdapat kesalahan persepsi orang tua terhadap status gizi anaknya. Penelitian lebih lanjut diperlukan untuk mendalami faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi persepsi dan bagaimana cara mengubahnya sehingga pola asuh orang tua dan penerimaan terhadap program perbaikan gizi menjadi lebih baik.KATA KUNCI: persepsi; berat badan; tinggi badan; balita; status giziABSTRACT Background: The proportion of over- and under-nutrition is still high in Indonesia. Overcoming the nutritional problems is important since it can lead to long term health impacts. However, there are some problems that inhibit the intervention program such as low effectiveness and inappropriate parenting. One thing that affects the success of the program is about parents’ perception of the nutritional status of their children.Objectives: The study aimed to identify the perception of the parents towards the nutritional status of their children, which is categorized as body weight and height to age.Methods: The research use cross-sectional design by giving the questionnaire to the parents who have children under-five and go to Posyandu in 11 villages in Seyegan, DI Yogyakarta. The study focused on the judgment of the parents towards the height and weight to the age of their children and whether the parents under- or overestimate the nutritional status of their children. Results: There were 89 respondents following the study. From the number, there were 27 parents (30%) who overestimate their children by assuming the children to be overweight while according to z-score they was categorized as wasted. There were 10 parents (11.2%) who underestimate the height of their children by assuming that their children was stunted while they was not. On the other hand, 5 parents (5.6%) overestimate the height of their children by saying they had normal height while the fact they were stunted.Conclusion: There is still misperception among the parents about the nutritional status of their children. Further study is needed to identify what factors affecting the perception and how to change it so that the nutritional intervention program and parenting can be better.KEYWORDS: perception; body weight; body height; children under-five; nutritional status