In October, 2013, Nutri-eSTEP was launched on the Dietitians of Canada website (www.nutritionscreen.ca). These internet adaptations of the toddler and preschool NutriSTEP® nutrition risk questionnaires are part of a broader web tool that provides immediate feedback to users and links to relevant resources.

To assess usage and screening results from the first three years of Nutri-eSTEP (Oct 2013-Sept 2016).

Data from Canadian Nutri-eSTEP users were analyzed using SPSS v24. Data analysis included: descriptive statistics for total risk scores and individual NutriSTEP® questions; relationships between NutriSTEP® scores and demographics using independent t-tests; and, associations between individual NutriSTEP® questions, where theoretical relationships were thought to exist, using bivariate statistics.

Parents/caregivers completing Nutri-eSTEP, totaled 15,103 (7052 toddlers and 8051 preschoolers) with 73% from Ontario. Mean (±SD) risk scores for toddlers was 17(±9) and 20(±8) for preschoolers; males had significantly higher risk scores. 16% of toddlers and 22% of preschoolers were at high nutritional risk; 13% of toddlers and 18% of preschoolers were at moderate risk. For both groups, > 55% had low frequency of grain product consumption; > 40% had low frequency of consumption of meat and alternates; and, >33% had low frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption. Screen time ≥2 hours/day was found for 65% of preschoolers and 34% of toddlers. More screen time was significantly associated with low physical activity, and parental concerns related to growth and weight. Higher parental control of feeding and food insecurity were significantly associated with lower frequency of consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Nutri-eSTEP screening results for Canadian children illustrates concerns related to food group intake, screen time, parental control and food security, with more preschoolers at risk than toddlers.

These results are useful for health practitioners designing nutrition education approaches for Canadian families with toddlers and preschoolers.