title: Implementing the Nutrition Screening Tool for Every Preschooler (NutriSTEP®) in community health centres.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Identifying nutrition-related problems during the early years may provide an opportunity to enhance parents' abilities to support healthy growth and development. The Nutrition Screening Tool for Every Preschooler (NutriSTEP®) is a validated, parent-administered questionnaire designed to identify preschool children at nutritional risk. Parents can complete NutriSTEP® in under five minutes. Parents' and staff's views of NutriSTEP® implementation feasibility were assessed in two community health centres.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parents attending preschool immunization clinics were recruited. Parents, staff, and physicians were asked for their opinions on screening.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 412 (34%) parent questionnaires completed indicated that parents found NutriSTEP® easy to complete and helpful for identifying areas of nutrition concern. Staff estimated screening distribution took one to three minutes. Clerks and nurses expressed concern about additional workload and demands on parents. Managers believed NutriSTEP® was easy to implement. Physicians considered nutrition screening of preschoolers important, and felt that health centres were the best location for screening.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NutriSTEP® was relatively easy to implement in two community health clinics. While staff expressed concern about increased workload, parents found it easy to complete and helpful.
authors.affiliation: Alberta Health Services, Calgary, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Kay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watson-Jarvis
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McNeil
authors.forename: Tanis R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Fenton
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Campbell
mesh_terms: D000416:Alberta / Q000453:epidemiology; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003151:Community Health Centers; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006284:Health Plan Implementation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D009752:Nutritional Status