Akrami, S. M., Montazeri, V., Shomali, S. R., Heshmat, R., & Larijani, B. (2009). Is there a significant trend in prevalence of consanguineous marriage in Tehran? A review of three generations. Journal of Genetic Counseling, 18(1), 82-86. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10897-008-9191-y

Iran represents a society, in which consanguineous marriage is a widely held practice. The study reported in this article analyzed the trend in consanguineous marriage across three generations. Researchers interviewed 400 people who attended Shariati Hospital’s clinic.

They obtained data on consanguinity status for 1789 marriages in three generations. Generation 1 consisted of marriages contracted before 1948. Generation 2 consisted of marriages contracted between 1949 and 1978, and Generation 3 consisted of marriages contracted after 1979. The authors found that within these three generations, the prevalence of consanguineous marriage was 8.8%, 16.6%, and 19%, respectively, indicating a significant trend.

First cousin marriage was the most common type of consanguinity (69 percent).The socioeconomic status of a family has no bearing on the likelihood of a consanguineous marriage. The findings suggest the need for premarital genetic counseling and public awareness campaigns about the genetic risks of consanguineous marriage.