Estimating the health and socioeconomic effects of cousin marriage in South Asia

A.M. Mobarak; T. Chaudhry; J. Brown; T. Zelenska; M.N. Khan; S. Chaudry; R.A. Wajid; A.H. Bittles; S. Li

doi:10.1017/S0021932018000275

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Estimating the health and socioeconomic effects of cousin marriage in South Asia

Journal article

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Estimating the health and socioeconomic effects of cousin marriage in South Asia

A.M. Mobarak, T. Chaudhry, J. Brown, T. Zelenska, M.N. Khan, S. Chaudry, R.A. Wajid, A.H. Bittles and S. Li

Journal of Biosocial Science, Vol.51(3), pp.418-435

2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021932018000275

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Abstract

The effects of marriage between biological relatives on the incidence of childhood genetic illness and mortality are of major policy significance, as rates of consanguinity exceed 50% in various countries. Empirical research on this question is complicated by the fact that consanguinity is often correlated with poverty and other unobserved characteristics of households, which may have independent effects on mortality. This study has developed an instrumental variables empirical strategy to re-examine this question, based on the concept that the availability of unmarried cousins of the opposite gender at the time of marriage creates quasi-random variation in the propensity to marry consanguineously. Using primary data collected in Bangladesh in 2006-07 and Pakistan in 2009-10, the study found that previous estimates of the impact of consanguinity on child health were biased and falsely precise. The study also empirically investigated the social and economic causes of consanguinity (including marital quality) and concludes that marrying a cousin can have positive economic effects for one's natal family, by allowing deferral of dowry payments until after marriage.

Details

Title: Estimating the health and socioeconomic effects of cousin marriage in South Asia
Authors/Creators: A.M. Mobarak (Author/Creator) - Yale University
T. Chaudhry (Author/Creator) - Lahore School of Economics
J. Brown (Author/Creator) - 4University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
T. Zelenska (Author/Creator) - 5Landesa (Rural Development Institute),Seattle,WA,USA.
M.N. Khan (Author/Creator) - ICF International (United States)
S. Chaudry (Author/Creator) - Lahore School of Economics
R.A. Wajid (Author/Creator) - Lahore School of Economics
A.H. Bittles (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
S. Li (Author/Creator) - 9Facebook,Seattle,WA,USA.
Publication Details: Journal of Biosocial Science, Vol.51(3), pp.418-435
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Identifiers: 991005540090207891
Copyright: © Cambridge University Press, 2018
Murdoch Affiliation: Centre for Comparative Genomics
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Industry collaboration; Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Citation topics: 1 Clinical & Life Sciences; 1.189 Genome Studies; 1.189.1853 Human Genetic Diversity
Web Of Science research areas: Demography; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; Social Sciences, Biomedical
ESI research areas: Social Sciences, general