The impact of kin proximity on net marital fertility and maternal survival in Sweden 1900-1910-Evidence for cooperative breeding in a societal context of nuclear families, or just contextual correlations?

This study provides evidence that kin proximity was associated with fertility and mortality of married women, and that the associations differed for paternal and maternal kin in the societal context of Swedish nuclear families (1900-1910). However, the patterns of kin proximity that we identified were correlated with characteristics such as socioeconomic status, occupation, and wealth, which also exhibited strong correlations with fertility and survival. Future research assessing the effects of kinship on demographic developments must therefore carefully consider the socio-environmental context.