Key Social Norms Take-aways Social norms—particularly injunctive norms upheld by family—significantly affect girls’ FP use. Kinship networks, more than peers, shape norms around fertility and contraception. Restrictive norms, especially around new brides and motherhood, contribute to social isolation and limited autonomy. Effective FP programs must address these normative environments by engaging family members and fostering broader community support.

Objectives This study examined how social networks and social norms influence modern family planning (FP) use among married adolescent girls (ages 13–19) in Dosso, Niger. The aim was to understand how perceived support from key social contacts (alters) affects FP behaviors and whether family planning messages diffuse through girls’ networks.

Methods Researchers conducted a social network analysis with 322 married adolescent girls, asking them to name influential individuals in their lives. One alter per girl (n=250) was also surveyed to gather information on FP attitudes and behaviors. Analyses included dyadic models and logistic regressions to explore the association between girls’ FP use, perceived normative support, and alter characteristics.

Intervention Details The study was part of the Reaching Married Adolescents (RMA) intervention— a community-based FP program implemented in 48 villages, with random assignment to treatment or control. The program aimed to increase FP use through education and community engagement. Researchers assessed both direct and indirect (network-based) effects of the intervention.

Results Girls in the RMA intervention were more likely to perceive their alters as supportive of FP, believe in delaying first births, and report larger social networks. Alters of intervention participants were more likely to have used FP and to be aware of the program, indicating diffusion. Girls’ FP use was associated with use among sisters and in-laws but not among friends, suggesting kinship ties have stronger normative influence. Nulliparous girls were more socially isolated and less likely to use FP. Mothers were often named as alters but were less likely to support or use FP themselves, possibly reinforcing conservative norms.

Conclusions The study found that FP use among married adolescent girls is shaped by social connections, particularly kin, and that FP interventions can influence broader networks beyond direct participants. Evidence suggests the RMA intervention diffused through social networks, increasing awareness and support for FP among non-participants.