Cohort Differentials of Consanguineous Marriage in Semnan Province

In the modernization process of the society, families have also been exposed to many changes. These changes are reflected in generational differences in values, attitudes, process of choosing a marriage partner, and marriage age. The aim of this paper is to examine consanguineous marriage in different cohorts. The data for this study are drawn from a survey in Semnan Province in 2012. The sample comprise of 405 married women resided in Semnan province. The results show that 40 percent of marriages are consanguineous and 27.4 percent are consanguineous marriage between close relatives.  A significant difference was observed in rates of consanguineous marriage across three birth cohorts. Approximately, half of women born in 1960s reported consanguineous marriage, while only one third of women born in 1981, reported consanguineous marriage. Multivariate analysis showed that the observed differentials in consanguineous marriage are mainly due to cohort differences in women’s educational attainment. Education is the most important determinant of different rates of consanguineous marriage across birth cohorts. The results indicate that family has changes due to the modernization progress, As a result of this change; the rate of consanguineous marriage has declined in recent cohorts.