Christine Mair, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

This seminar is hosted by the Southern Population Aging Research Center (SPARC) and co-hosted by the Maryland Population Research Center (MPRC).

Presentation Title: Limited Family Ties, Friendship, & Contextual Variation in Loneliness Risk across 25 Countries

About the Presentation

This study examines how limited family ties and friendship shape loneliness among adults aged 45+ across 25 countries using ISSP (2017) and country-level indicators from WHO and the World Values Survey. Being unpartnered is especially linked to lacking companionship, but frequent friend contact reduces loneliness—particularly for the unpartnered. Loneliness is lower in countries that highly value both family and friendship, highlighting the role of social and national contexts in later-life wellbeing.
 

About the Speaker

Dr. Christine A. Mair is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Gerontology at UMBC with a secondary appointment in Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Her research examines how family structure and social networks shape health in later life, with a focus on “kinlessness.” Using large-scale population surveys, she studies how social ties and policy contexts influence loneliness, caregiving, and cognitive health across regions and countries.

Seminar Format

Location IN PERSON: 2208 LeFrak Hall. We are requesting advanced registration so that we can track capacity.  Please use this link to RSVP for in-person attendance.

Location ONLINE VIA ZOOM: Zoom registration link.  Upon registration, you will receive an automatically generated email with the direct link for the seminar

If accommodations are needed, please send request to meeting organizer (mprc-support@umd.edu) at least 72 hours prior to the event, if possible, to allow time to discuss and implement alternatives.

COVID-19 Information

MPRC public events for Spring 2026 will be a mix of in person and online via Zoom.  For in person events, all event attendees must follow current protocols.