The aim of this study was to explore the association between socio-dem
ographic factors and consanguineous marriages in the United Arab Emira
tes (UAE). This was a cross-sectional population-based study conducted
in the cities of Al Ain and Dubai between October 1994 and March 1995
, A multi-stage sampling design was used and a representative total sa
mple of 2,200 UAE females aged 15 years and above were included in thi
s study. Data on 2,033 (85.8%) UAE national families who consented to
participate in the study were obtained. The rate of consanguineous mar
riages in the sample was found to be 50.5% with 95% estimated populati
on confidence limits 49.2-51.8 %. The socio-demographic factors consid
ered were: husband's age, wife's age, husband's and wife's educational
levels, husband's occupation, wife's occupation, housing conditions,
husband's parental kinship, wife's parental kinship, and kinship betwe
en the spouses. Consanguinity is more common among women with educated
husbands (secondary or university/high) than among women with less ed
ucated husbands. The results indicate that the frequency of consanguin
eous marriages significantly increases when the husband's educational
level is higher (p = 0.003). The distribution of relationship between
spouses over the two generations of the study group and their parents
is presented. The incidence of consanguineous marriages among the pare
nts is 53% and 62% for the women and their husbands, respectively, and
the overall incidence is 57%. The parallel patrilateral marriage is o
bviously the favoured practice when considering the parent's kinship d
istributions. The results of stepwise multiple logistic regression ana
lysis for the occurrence of consanguineous marriages show that the hus
band's education and husband's parents' consanguinity status only are
significantly associated variables.