The prevailing trend of consanguinity in the Arab society of Israel: is it still a challenge?

Rajech Sharkia, Mohammad Khatib, Ahmad Sheikh-Muhammad, Muhammad Mahajnah, Abdelnaser Zalan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the trend of consanguineous marriage among the Arab population in Israel. Socio-demographic data for the Arab population were extracted from national health surveys conducted in Israel in 2007 and 2017. The prevalence of consanguineous marriage among the Arab population in Israel increased significantly from 36.3% to 41.6% in the decade from 2007 to 2017. First-cousin and closer marriages constituted about 50% of total consanguineous marriages in the two periods surveyed. Consanguinity was found to be significantly related to religion and place of residence. Thus, the prevalence of consanguineous marriage remains high among the Arab population in Israel, similar to other Arab societies. These findings affect the health of future generations and impose a challenge for health care professionals.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)169-173
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of Biosocial Science
Volume55
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 6 Jan 2023
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), 2021.

Keywords

  • Consanguinity
  • Marriage
  • mate selection

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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