Consanguineous marriages in Beirut: time trends, spatial distribution.

Abstract

To provide some information on consanguineous marriages, a population based-description of consanguineous marriages in Beirut is presented. A health survey of the city of Beirut, undertaken from July 1, 1983, to August 31, 1984, covered 13,736 individuals, comprising 3033 ever- married women. These women provided information on their marriage and the kinship between the spouses, as well as on the religion, educational and occupational status of their husbands. Armitage's test was used to assess the significance of the time gradient in consanguineous marriages and Bartholomew's test used to assess the significance of the variation in religion, educational level, and occupational status of the residents by level of endogamy in the sector. The overall prevalence of consanguineous marriages was 25%. 56% of marriages occurred between 1st cousins. Splitting the 1st cousin marriages by pedigree showed that patrilateral parallel-cousin marriage was well represented, amounting to 52.2% of all cousin marriages. Over time, consanguineous marriages significantly declined the mean proportion varying from 30% before 1950 to 25% between 1950-69, to about 20% starting form 1970. Cousin marriages remained stable over time, while marriages between distant relatives underwent a significant decline. Rates of consanguineous marriages was computed by sector and mapped. Rates were higher in the western part of the city, comprising a majority of Muslim inhabitants, than in the eastern part, mostly Christian. The higher the proportion of consanguineous marriages, the higher the proportion of husbands of low educational level, of low occupational status, and of Muslim religion.