Sasi Arun P, Udgiri Rekha, Ganganahalli Praveen, Sorganvi Vijaya M
Community Medicine, Shri. B. M. Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, BLDE (Deemed to be University), Vijayapura, IND.
Cureus. 2024 Dec 25;16(12):e76376. doi: 10.7759/cureus.76376. eCollection 2024 Dec.
Background Consanguineous marriages, defined as unions between closely related individuals, are influenced by a complex interplay of cultural, social, economic, religious, and demographic factors. These marriages are prevalent among communities such as Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Christians, and Parsis in Southern and Western Asia, with significant regional variations within India. There is a lack of appropriate decision-making among women in consanguineous unions, particularly those with a low level of educational attainment, which leads to an increase in the prevalence of consanguineous marriages. This needs to be addressed through more studies and educational campaigns. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to assess knowledge about the consequences of consanguinity and the sociodemographic factors related to consanguinity. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted in Unnat Bharat Abhiyan villages (Ukkali, Donur, Yambatnal, Hegadihal, Deginal) enrolled under Shri B. M. Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, BLDE (Deemed to be University), Vijayapura, India, which was selected using a lottery method. The houses were selected randomly, focusing on ever-married females aged 15-49 within the reproductive age group. Data on sociodemographic profile, marital status, and awareness status of the participants were collected from March 2023 to April 2024 using an interview technique with a pretested, semi-structured questionnaire. Results The study involved the enrollment of a total of 108 participants (Donur - 24, Yembatnal - 32, Ukkali - 27, Deginal - 10, Hegadihal - 15). Among the respondents, only 37 participants (34%) know the specific health and genetic consequences of consanguinity, such as increased risk of genetic disorders (stillbirth, milestone delay, cerebral palsy). The study highlights a significant association between respondents' knowledge of the consequences of consanguineous marriage, their literacy level, and socioeconomic status. Conclusion The study concludes that literacy levels are inversely related to the prevalence of consanguineous marriages, suggesting that education holds the key to reducing this practice. The results of this study highlight the necessity of tackling this problem through a multifaceted strategy. This strategy should include culturally sensitive educational programs, economic empowerment initiatives for women, and religious discourse that promotes genetic diversity, offering the potential for change and progress.
背景 近亲婚姻定义为近亲个体之间的结合，受到文化、社会、经济、宗教和人口因素的复杂相互作用影响。这些婚姻在南亚和西亚的印度教、穆斯林、犹太教、佛教、基督教和帕西人等社区中很普遍，在印度境内存在显著的地区差异。近亲婚姻中的女性，尤其是受教育程度低的女性，缺乏适当的决策能力，这导致近亲婚姻的患病率上升。这需要通过更多的研究和教育活动来解决。因此，本研究的主要目的是评估关于近亲结婚后果的知识以及与近亲结婚相关的社会人口因素。
方法 在印度维杰亚普拉的斯里·B·M·帕蒂尔医学院、医院和研究中心（被视为大学）下属的“Unnat Bharat Abhiyan”村庄（乌卡利、多努尔、扬巴特纳勒、赫加迪哈尔、德吉纳尔）进行了一项横断面研究，这些村庄是通过抽签法选定的。房屋是随机选择的，重点关注15至49岁处于生育年龄组的已婚女性。2023年3月至2024年4月期间，使用经过预测试的半结构化问卷，通过访谈技术收集了参与者的社会人口概况、婚姻状况和认知状况数据。
结果 该研究共招募了108名参与者（多努尔 - 24人、扬巴特纳勒 - 32人、乌卡利 - 27人、德吉纳尔 - 10人、赫加迪哈尔 - 15人）。在受访者中，只有37名参与者（34%）知道近亲结婚的具体健康和遗传后果，如遗传疾病风险增加（死产、发育里程碑延迟、脑瘫）。该研究突出了受访者对近亲结婚后果的认知、其识字水平和社会经济地位之间的显著关联。
结论 该研究得出结论，识字水平与近亲婚姻的患病率呈负相关，这表明教育是减少这种行为的关键。本研究结果凸显了通过多方面策略解决这一问题的必要性。该策略应包括文化敏感的教育项目、妇女经济赋权举措以及促进遗传多样性的宗教话语，为变革和进步提供可能性。
