Background/Aim: Consanguinity represents a biological relationship between two individuals. In clinical genetics, it specifically
refers to the marriage between individuals who are second cousins or closer. The aim of the study is to assess perceptions and their
predictors among the Palestinian population towards consanguinity.
Methods: A survey-based cross-sectional study was conducted. The sample was collected using convenience and snowball sampling
methods, yielding a sample of 1008 participants. The perceptions towards consanguinity and its predictors were assessed using Chi-
square test.
Results: The prevalence of consanguinity among married participants was 18.7% (N = 81/432), while it was 28.8% among their
parents. Consanguinity rate was significantly low among the young age group (ie, <47 years old) and among participants whose
mothers have undergraduate educational levels (P < 0.05). Other factors like parental consanguinity, educational level of participants,
their father’s educational level, and residency place showed no significant associations (P > 0.05). Rejection of consanguinity was
significantly noted among young age participants, absence of parental consanguinity, the presence of children or family members with
genetic disorders and female gender (P < 0.001). Furthermore, participants who indicated that they are governmental employees, those
with 2000–5000 ILS monthly income, those who are married (P < 0.01), and those who indicated that their mothers are holders of
postgraduate degree were significantly more likely to reject the idea of consanguinity (P < 0.05). Also, medical and/or scientific
reasons were significantly associated with rejecting the idea of consanguinity (P < 0.001).
Conclusion: Consanguinity prevalence has decreased among recent generations in Palestine, but it remains a significant challenge in
Palestine. Therefore, educational and awareness programs about consanguinity and its health effects are effective strategies for
reducing the consanguinity rate, especially for persons who are at the age of marriage.
Keywords: consanguinity, perceptions, awareness, genetics, health effects

Title

Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Publisher Country

New Zealand

Indexing

Scopus

Impact Factor

3.3

Publication Type

Online only

Volume

16

Year

2023

Pages

3443-3453