Consanguinity in a population sample of Israeli Muslim Arabs, Christian Arabs and Druze

Abstract

The results showed high consanguinity rates in Muslim Arabs (42%), Christian Arabs (22%) and in Druze (47%). Rates of first cousin and closer matings in Muslim Arabs and Druze were stable over time in contrast with a significant decrease in the rates of distant consanguineous matings. Muslim Arab husbands (not Bedouins) who were sons of first cousins were more frequently (31%) married to a cousin than were other husbands (22%), and in Bedouins these rates were 53% and 33%, respectively. The rate of first cousin matings was predominantly associated with the level of education. The rate was highest in those Bedouins (37%) and Druze (37%) with low educational level, and lowest in highly educated Christian Arabs (14%) and non-Bedouin Muslim Arabs (10%). The association with education has implications for developing strategies for reducing consanguinity rates.