The influence of consanguinity on reproductive health in a population of western Algeria (SABRA)

Abstract

Background Inbreeding refers to unions between two people with at least one common ancestor. The practice of this type of marriage in Algeria and in the Arab-Muslim world is still commonplace. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of consanguinity and to examine the impact of this practice on a few health parameters, including reproductive health: fertility, prenatal, perinatal, neonatal and postnatal mortality. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted on 123 people randomly recruited from the Sabra Public Health Proximity Institution (EPSP). The data were collected using a pre-established questionnaire, which included questions about women's clinical, sociodemographic, and reproductive history characteristics. These data were processed by the khideux test. Results The consanguineous unions all degrees combined in our population represent a proportion of 33.33% with a slight preference for unions between first cousins. Our results also show an early marriage age and increased fertility, as well as a significant association between consanguinity and reproductive health (abortion, mortality, and morbidity). Conclusion Consanguineous marriage seems to be a predictive risk factor for certain fitness parameters, which is why setting up a health education program is fundamental to targeting prevention in terms of risk, which can have adverse effects on health, particularly the reproductive health that can weigh heavily on the family and the community.