ABSTRAK
The overall objectives of this research is to examine whether the intrahousehold food distribution exists in rural middle income and urban low income households and the nutritional status of members household having lactating mother in Dong Hung district and Thai Binh town,Thai Binh province of Vietnam.

This research is designed as a cross-sectional study. A total of 25 urban low income and 25 rural middle income households having lactating mothers with breastfed infants 1-6 months of age were studied from January to March 1996.

Food intake of selected household members (father, lactating mother, and children 1-5 years old) was collected using a combined food weighing and food recall method. A three consecutive days of food weighing was done during mealtime in each household. For food eaten outside the home or food eaten between meals when the researcher was not present, then food recall method was used.

The results showed that inequality in food distribution within household existed in both rural and urban households. In general, father was the one who got more adequate intake compared to mother and child within household. Members of urban households had higher adequacy for some nutrients than their rural counterparts. Consequently, the nutritional status based on anthropometric indices of urban household members was better than those in rural households.