Dynamics of the Population Structure of the Population of the South of Central Russia over a 130-Year Period. Age of Marriage

The article presents the results of assessing the dynamics of the age at marriage of the reproductive part of the population of the south of Central Russia, which acts as one of the factors in the dynamics of the genetic structure of subsequent generations. Over 130 years (from 1890–1910 to 2016–2018), there was an increase in the age of marriage for men (+5.11 years, from 24.05 to 29.16 years) and women (+5.78 years, from 20.39 to 26.17 years), and the average difference in the age of spouses decreased by 0.66 (3.66 to 3.00 years). At the end of the 19th century, the marriage age of the urban population of the reproductive part of the population was higher than that of the rural population (especially among men). By the middle of the 20th century, the average age of marriage among the rural population increased, exceeding the city indicators, and this trend continued in subsequent generations until 2016–2018. There was a decrease in the average age difference between spouses, especially in the urban part of the population. At the end of the 19th century, the average difference in the age of spouses among urban residents was 1.4 times higher than for rural residents, and by the beginning of the 21st century, on the contrary, it was 1.4 times lower. Positive marital assortativity by age of spouses increased over the 130-year period (1.2 times), both in the city and in the village, but was more significant for residents of rural areas (except for the period 1991–1993). Changes in the average marriage age of spouses that have been occurring in recent decades are of particular significance from a medical-genetic point of view (especially the age at which women marry), since this indicator is potentially significant for determining the prevalence of a number of hereditary diseases among the population. Studying the age at marriage allows us to identify unfavorable trends and risks of potential negative changes in the structure of gene pools (and accordingly, the level of health) of subsequent generations.