Socioeconomic assortative mating in Santiago, Chile: A demonstration using stochastic matrices of mother‐child relationships applied to ABO blood groups

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Abstract
The gene and the phenotypic frequencies for the ABO blood groups system were studied in 2 socioeconomically different subpopulations of Santiago, Chile. Gene frequencies were obtained from mothers, children (newborn infants), donors to blood banks and receptors of blood banks by the maximum likelihood method applied to phenotypes. The stochastic matrix method of mother-child relationship was also used for finding the fathers'' gene frequencies. Results show a clear difference in phenotypic and gene frequencies between the 2 subpopulations. This difference was maintained in 2 generations (mothers and their children). The fathers'' gene frequencies were not different from the mothers'' gene frequencies in each subpopulation. These results reinforce the statement that there are socioeconomic forces producing assortative mating in Santiago.