Hair and serum zinc and copper, growth percentiles, and dietary intakes, based on 3-day weighed food records, were determined for 106 Canadian preschool children (62 M, 44 F) aged 4-5 yr. Mean (+/- SD) hair zinc levels were (M) 103 +/- 35 micrograms/g vs (F) 129 +/- 34 micrograms/g, p less than 0.001, and median hair copper level was 12.4 micrograms/g (M + F). Mean serum zinc and copper were 111 +/- 13 micrograms/dL (M + F) and 122 +/- 21 micrograms/dL (M + F), respectively. Males with low hair zinc (less than 70 micrograms/g) had a lower mean height-for-age percentile (42 +/- 29 vs 58 +/- 25%, p less than 0.05), even when adjusted for midparent height. Males with hair zinc less than 70 micrograms/g and/or height-for-age less than 15% consumed less meat, poultry, and fish and received similar average zinc intakes but higher calcium intakes than males with hair zinc greater than or equal to 70 micrograms/g and/or height-for-age greater than or equal to 15%. Suboptimal zinc nutriture was associated with lower intakes of readily available zinc from flesh foods and higher intakes of calcium.