More siblings means less chance of divorce.

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Brief article

Growing up with siblings may provide some protection against divorce as an adult, reveals a study from Ohio Slate University, Columbus. Each additional sibling a person has (up to seven) reduces the likelihood of divorce by two percent. The practical difference between having no siblings and having one or two is not that much in terms of divorce, says Doug Downey, coauthor of the study and professor of sociology, "but when you compare children from large families to those with only one child, there is a meaningful gap in the probability of divorce."

One of the biggest surprises of the study was that it was not the difference between being an only child and having siblings that was significant. "We expected that, if you had any siblings at all, that would give you the experience with personal relationships that would help you in marriage, but we found that the real story appears...