ABSTRACT
We examined the types of marriage between husband and wife and their frequency as well as the intensity of consanguinity for the Mauritanian ethnic groups. Then we evaluated for all the population, the variations of each of these dimensions according to the dates of marriage. The analysis of a sample of 2413 couples obtained according to the quota method showed that the Mauritanian population presents a strong family endogamy of about 47.20%. The Wolofs and the Poulards present percentages of marriages between blood relations of about 74.47% and of 55.74% respectively. On the other hand, for the Maures, black Maures and Soninkes, the proportions of marriages between blood relations are of the order of 41.25%, 30.52% and 46.99% respectively. This same analysis has also shown that the Mauritanian ethnic groups present high apparent coefficient of consanguinity. They are of a level of unions between unequal cousins [1/32] for [1/64] for others. The evaluation of endogamy practices in function of marriage dates [from 1921 to 1991] shows and for all the population a decline tendency in the percentages of consanguine marriages, and at the level of a whole Mauritanian population
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Socioeconomic Factors , Marriage , EthnicityABSTRACT
This study is to evaluate the consequences of consanguinity and social factors on infanto-adolescent mortality and fertility in Mauritanian ethno groups. Thereafter we studied the correspondence between the methods of all the studied variables. The analysis of a sample of 2413 couples obtained according to the quota method showed that the infanto-youthful death rate in Soninkes and the Poulard ones was higher in the consanguineous groups than in the non consanguineous ones. On the other hand, in Maures, Wolofs and black Maures the difference is not significant. For all the Mauritanian ethno groups the consanguineous couples had averages of fertility significantly higher than those of non consanguineous. Analysis of the correspondences revealed two groups. The first was formed by the related ones. The second by the non-related ones. Each group formed a unit with other specific demographic characteristics