Assessment of Awareness on the Risk of Consanguineous Marriages among University Students from Four Developing Countries: A Comparative Study
Zurki Ibrahim *
Department of Biological Sciences, Sule Lamido University, Kafin Hausa, Nigeria.
Nedime Serakinci
Department of Medical Genetics, Near East University, TRNC, Mersin 10, Turkey.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Marriage between cousins is associated with genetic risks such as birth defects. Here we investigate the level of awareness on the risks associated with consanguineous marriages among University students mainly from, Libya, Jordan, Nigeria and North Cyprus. The comparative study was carried out on 500 students; data were retrieved by using self-administered questionnaire which comprised of socio-demographic characteristics (sex, age, marital status, education, religion) and knowledge of the students towards consanguineous marriage. The data was analyzed by using SPSS, version 18.0 and the Chi-Square test. Participants’ ages were mostly between 20-29 (81%). Majority of the participants from Jordan and Libya have rated the level of consanguineous marriages in their respective countries as high, Nigerians students have rated it as moderate, while students from North Cyprus have rated it as low. Furthermore, 28.4 of the students from Libya, 31.7% of the students from Nigeria, 26.3% Jordan and 13.6% from North Cyprus respectively have expressed poor knowledge about consanguinity. The outcome of this study has demonstrated the need for effective awareness about the deleterious effect of consanguinity in these countries.
Keywords: Consanguineous marriage, genetic, risks, awareness, defects, attitude.