Cross-sectional analysis reveals a positive link between childhood brothers and ideal number of sons among women, indicating sibling dynamics shape adult fertility preferences.
Key Points
To determine whether the number of brothers a woman grows up with influences her desired number of sons in adulthood.
Analyzed cross-sectional survey data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (N=40,628).
Estimated weighted negative binomial regression models adjusting for sociodemographic factors, total sibship size, number of sisters, and ideal daughter count.
A statistically significant positive association was identified between a woman's number of brothers and her ideal number of sons, persisting after controlling for socioeconomic factors and family composition.
Interaction analyses demonstrated that the association was strongest among younger birth cohorts and slightly elevated among women with higher education levels, with no differences observed by region.
Cite This Study
Patrick Akhas Okooboh (2026) studied this question.