The majority of participants in a recent study in Nepal claimed two children was the ideal number (73%), but more than half of the women continue to have children beyond the second child. Researchers investigated the connection between having more than the desired number of children and neighbor family size in a study published in the journal Studies in Family Planning.
According to researchers, the number of children born to neighbors may impact fertility and family size of women living in close proximity. Researchers found a particularly strong connection between neighbor family size and older women who continued having children beyond the intended or desired number.
The results of the study, completed in rural Nepal, could be loosely applied to rural communities in the United States. Further research into the impact of neighbor family size on family planning and birth rate in rural US communities is needed.
Source: Jennings EA, Barber JS. The influence of neighbors' family size preference on progression to high parity births in rural Nepal. Stud Fam Plann. 2013 Mar;44(1):67-84. doi: 10.1111/j.1728-4465.2013.00344.x.