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Consanguinity rates among Syrian refugees in Lebanon: a study on genetic awareness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 May 2020

Malak El Sabeh Open the ORCID record for Malak El Sabeh [Opens in a new window] ,
Mohamed Faisal Kassir ,
Paola Ghanem ,
Omran Saifi ,
Dalia El Hadi ,
Yara Khalifeh ,
Abdul Rahman Akkawi ,
Marc Ghabach ,
Monique Chaaya  and
Georges Nemer
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Malak El Sabeh
Affiliation:
Department of Dermatology, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
Mohamed Faisal Kassir
Affiliation:
Department of Dermatology, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
Paola Ghanem
Affiliation:
Department of Dermatology, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
Omran Saifi
Affiliation:
Department of Dermatology, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
Dalia El Hadi
Affiliation:
Department of Dermatology, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
Yara Khalifeh
Affiliation:
Department of Dermatology, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
Abdul Rahman Akkawi
Affiliation:
Department of Dermatology, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
Marc Ghabach
Affiliation:
Department of Dermatology, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
Monique Chaaya
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
Georges Nemer
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
Ossama Abbas
Affiliation:
Department of Dermatology, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
Mazen Kurban*
Affiliation:
Department of Dermatology, American University of Beirut, Lebanon Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
*
*Corresponding author. Email: mk104@aub.edu.lb
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Abstract

Consanguineous marriage is a deeply rooted tradition in the Arab world. Such marriages are linked to higher rates of recessive genetic diseases. During the Syrian conflict, which started in 2011, around one million Syrian individuals became refugees in Lebanon. This study assessed the consanguinity rates among Syrian refugees living in Lebanon up to three successive consanguineous generations, and examined refugees’ awareness of the possible consequences of consanguineous marriage and their attitudes towards consanguinity. Their knowledge of, and access to, premarital screening was also assessed. The study was conducted between January and May 2018. Several study sites representing refugees’ distribution within the country were chosen. The study sample included 1008 interviewees from different families. Of those interviewed, 51.9% were in a consanguineous marriage. Interestingly, 23.9% were the product of consanguineous marriages themselves, and 17.9% were consanguineous for three successive generations. The interviewees generally knew about premarital screening, but the majority (61.9%) had not had the screening. The high rates of consanguinity in these Syrian refugees call for immediate action, including raising genetic awareness and providing appropriate genetic counselling. Despite the respondents’ familiarity with premarital screening, there was a low rate of uptake of the test, underscoring the importance of providing better education to these refugees.

Keywords

ConsanguinityGenetic CounsellingRefugees
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 53 , Issue 3 , May 2021 , pp. 356 - 366
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

†

This article was originally published with a spelling error in the name of author Abdul Rahman Akkawi. This has now been corrected and a corrigendum published at https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021932022000499.

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