What were the authors trying to test, and what predictions did they make?
The authors of the article were trying to determine consanguinity rates and the rate of inbreeding in the United Arab Emirates. The authors predicted that although the number of consanguineous marriages are generally declining, due to culture variances Middle Eastern Arabs will have a higher consanguinity rate. The purpose of the study is to find the inbreeding coefficient in the UAE.
What, exactly, did the authors do?
The authors sampled 2,033 married UAE women, aged 15 or older. The women were interviewed face to face by physicians and qualified nurses. The genetic relationship between the two spouses and whether their parents were consanguineous was recorded.
What did the authors find (i.e, what were their data)?
The authors determined that the rate of consanguinity in the current generation was 50.5%. The coefficient of inbreeding was 0.0222. Marriages between first cousins was the most common type of consanguineous marriage. The authors also believed that their sample size was large enough to apply to the entire population: “It is believed that the sample size is adequate to achieve a high degree of precision in estimating the true incidence rate in the general population.”
How did the authors interpret their findings?
The authors determined that the coefficient of inbreeding increased between the parent and current generation. The coefficient of inbreeding was 0.0243 versus 0.0158, and the consanguinity rate was 50.5% versus 39%. Over one quarter of all marriages were first cousin marriages. The authors state that this is similar to other Arab countries, and reflects cultural practices. The inbreeding coefficient is increasing in UAE, which is contrast to many populations such as Japan.
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