Hostname: page-component-89b8bd64d-5bvrz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-05-11T02:23:10.798Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

PRACTICE OF CONSANGUINITY AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS RISK IN THE PASHTUN POPULATION OF KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2017

Ruqiya Pervaiz ,
Faisal Faisal  and
Nedime Serakinci
Ruqiya Pervaiz*
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Near East University, North Cyprus Department of Zoology, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, Pakistan
Faisal Faisal
Affiliation:
Department of Banking and Finance, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Science, Near East University, North Cyprus
Nedime Serakinci
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Near East University, North Cyprus Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Art and Sciences, Near East University, North Cyprus
*
1Corresponding author. Email: ruqiyapervaiz@awkum.edu.pk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

This study aimed to investigate the frequency of consanguineous marriages and level of understanding of consanguinity-associated genetic risks in the Pashtun population, Pakistan. Information was gathered using a detailed questionnaire completed by 1500 individuals of both sexes over the 11-month period between April 2015 and February 2016. The mean inbreeding coefficient of the respondents was calculated and a five-point response scale was used to assess their understanding of consanguinity risks. The frequency of consanguineous marriages in the Pashtun population was found to be 58.3%, with a mean inbreeding coefficient of 0.0259. Marriage between second cousins was found to be the dominant marriage type. Level of education was found to be negatively related to the incidence of consanguineous marriage (p<0.001), and higher consanguinity was reported among the rural than the urban population (p<0.001). Participants in the ≥25-year age group, those with a higher level of education and those residing in urban areas exhibited a significantly higher understanding of consanguinity risks. The overall prevalence of consanguinity in the Pashtun population is high, demonstrating the need for awareness of its risks in the target population. The timely dissemination of information on potential health-related risks and the introduction of genetic counselling in the region would benefit both the individuals concerned and the community in general.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 50 , Issue 3 , May 2018 , pp. 414 - 420
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press, 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Bittles, A. H. (2001) Consanguinity and its relevance to clinical genetics. Clinical Genetics 60, 89–98.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bittles, A. H. & Black, M. L. (2010) Consanguinity, human evolution and complex diseases. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 107, 1779–1786.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Centre for Genetic Education (2016) When Parents are Related-Consanguinity [Fact sheet]. URL: http://www.genetics.edu.au/Publications-and-Resources/Genetics-Fact-Sheets/FactSheetConsanguinity (accessed April 2017).Google Scholar
Hina, S. & Malik, S. (2014) Pattern of consanguinity and inbreeding coefficient in Sargodha district, Punjab, Pakistan. Journal of Biosocial Science 47, 803–811.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jabeen, N. & Malik, S. (2014) Consanguinity and its sociodemographic differentials in Bhimber District, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition 32, 301–313.Google ScholarPubMed
Khan, H. G. A., Sultana, A. & e Siraj, A. (2011) Consanguinal marriages in Pakistan: a tradition or a cultural politics and possible management measures? Canadian Social Science 7, 119.Google Scholar
Mustafa, G. (2012) Education Policy Analysis Report of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Islamabad.Google Scholar
Pervaiz, R. (2015) Genetic mutations associated with breast cancer in Pakistan. Malaysian Journal of Medical and Biological Research 2, 308–313.Google Scholar
Sandridge, A. L., Takeddin, J., Al-Kaabi, E. & Frances, Y. (2010) Consanguinity in Qatar: knowledge, attitude and practice in a population born between 1946 and 1991. Journal of Biosocial Science 42, 59–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sthanadar, A. A., Bittles, A. H. & Zahid, M. (2014) Civil unrest and the current profile of consanguineous marriage in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. Journal of Biosocial Science 46, 698–701.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tadmouri, G. O., Nair, P., Obeid, T., Al Ali, M. T., Al Khaja, N. & Hamamy, H. A. (2009) Consanguinity and reproductive health among Arabs. Reproductive Health 6, 1.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wahab, A. & Ahmad, M. (1996) Biosocial perspective of consanguineous marriages in rural and urban Swat, Pakistan. Journal of Biosocial Science 28, 305–313.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wahab, A., Ahmad, M. & Akram, S. S. (2006) Migration as a determinant of marriage pattern: preliminary report on consanguinity among Afghans. Journal of Biosocial Science 38, 315–325.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed