Minority Populations

With large migrant communities now resident in virtually all of the more developed countries, and increasing international awareness of the importance of ethnic factors in health and disease, publication of the present volume is particularly timely. The topics covered focus principally on genetic and demographic aspects of the health of minority populations, with complementary discussion on sociocultural determinants.The effects of inbreeding on fertility and health are an important subtheme. In the majority of small population groups, inbreeding results from geographical, ethnic or religious constraints. However, in North and sub-Saharan Africa, South, Central and West Asia, marriage to a close relative is widely preferred. Since the combined population of these regions is now more than 900 million, and includes the currently most fertile human groups, predictably the future influence of consanguinity on human demographic trends will be proportionately large.The need to incorporate ethnic differences as a major factor in formulating and implementing family planning and health care programmes is emphasised in detailed case-studies conducted in developed and less developed countries. In conclusion, the additional influence of inter-ethnic marriage is examined against historical bias in favour of marriage partners from similar backgrounds.