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Scientists have found that visiting friends and family at least once a month can help you live longer. According to a recent study published by the University of Glasgow in BioMed Central Medicine, researchers discovered that there was a correlation between how often a person was visited by their family and friends with their life expectancy. Those who were never visited by their family reportedly had a higher risk of dying. Amid the ongoing loneliness epidemic, social isolation has previously been linked by researchers to a shorter life expectancy. This latest study sought to understand the effect that different types of social interaction have on our quality of life, with visits from friends and family, participating in a weekly group activity, and not living alone reportedly making the biggest difference among a group of 458,146 participants in the United Kingdom. Participants were between the ages of 37 and 73, with the average age being 56 years old, and data was collected between 2006 and 2010. Researchers asked the participants questions about the five different forms of social interaction: how often they were able to confide in someone close to them, how often they felt lonely, how often friends and family visited, how often they participated in a weekly group activity, and whether or not they lived alone. “We also tried to take into account lots of other factors that could explain the findings — like how old people were, their gender, their socioeconomic status, whether they were a smoker and more,” Dr Hamish Foster, a clinical research fellow at the University of Glasgow and the lead study author, explained to Insider. “And even after removing those factors from the equation it still showed that these social connections were important for risk of death.” Depending on when the participants were recruited, researchers would revisit the questions with the participants an estimated 12.6 years later to follow up. They reportedly found that, within those years, 33,135 or 7.2 per cent of participants died, with 5112 or 1.1 per cent passing from cardiovascular-related deaths. Strikingly, the study also found that “regardless of weekly group activity or functional components,” those who never had friends or family visit while also living alone were 77 per cent more likely to have a higher risk of death. However, Dr Foster cautions that the study is unable to take into account both the complexity and the quality of human social interactions. “Humans are really complicated and so are our connections and our measures in this study are pretty crude compared with what humans are capable of, but this study is still very detailed and is starting to drill down into how different types of connection are important,” Foster said to the outlet. He added that the study cannot prove that less socialisation causes death, but it does prove that loneliness and isolation can lead to not only poorer mental health but also poorer physical health. “We need to see more society-level interventions and support that make social connections easier, more likely, and of higher quality,” Foster added. “For example, community centers, parks, places, and activities that make it easy for people to meet and connect for high-quality relationships.” Dr Foster and his team of researchers aren’t the first to connect the dots between longer life spans and active social lives, with Netflix recently shining the spotlight on the famed blue zones - places with notably high populations of centenarians - in the docuseries, Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue. Within blue zones like Ikaria, Greece, or Okinawa, Japan, social interaction is prioritised within the community rather than being left on the backburner in favour of economic or individualistic pursuits. As the digital age and the pandemic have brought on an increase in social isolation, Dr Foster stressed that it’s important for young people to nurture their social lives and participate in their communities. Read More Blake Shelton opens up about parenting style with Gwen Stefani To shave or not to shave: How women can participate in No-Shave November Game of Thrones actor announces ‘unbearable loss’ of baby after stillbirth

Blake Shelton has speaken about his experience of being a stepfather. The country music singer appeared on the Today show to promote his new restaurant opening soon in Las Vegas. The interview also featured The Voice alum’s take on parenting since being a stepdad to his wife Gwen Stefani’s three sons. “I’ve had stepparents,” Shelton said. “I think it’s, in some ways, harder more difficult. I try to be careful about when to step back ... and just talk, but no matter what, always be there if I’m needed.” Stefani shares her three children, 17-year-old Kingston, 15-year-old Zuma, and nine-year-old Apollo, with her ex-husband Gavin Rossdale. Soon after divorcing Rossdale, the “Just a Girl” singer met Shelton while being coaches on The Voice together. The two tied the knot in 2021. “I didn’t see any of this coming with Blake. This was just a big old ‘What?’ It was an amazing gift to experience love like that for the first time,” Stefani confessed in an interview with People. “He’s changed my life ... when I [started dating] Blake, that’s when I felt home, like: ‘Oh, this is where I’m supposed to be, with this guy.’” Their home base is now in the “Sooner State” amid open land. For Stefani, who grew up in Southern California, she has been surprised to find she is now a “garden flower nerd”. “When I was young, I’d walk home from school and see my mom in her shorts doing her gardening, and my dad would be cutting the trees and make me pick up the branches,” Stefani said. “I’d be like: ‘I’m never having a tree at my house.’” “When we get to Oklahoma, we’re constantly working — and it’s a different kind of work,” she continued. “It’s probably what my mom was doing back in the day, and now I get it!” In conversation with People, she opened up about prioritising her children, and spoke about a special time in her life when she brought her eldest on tour with her. “I took Kingston on a world tour [when he was nine months old]. I would have to nurse him, then get onstage, come off, and he would twirl my ponytail,” Stefani remarked. “That’s when things got really hard for me emotionally. That time is so precious, and you don’t want to miss anything.” Though she’s continuing her journey as a mentor on The Voice, Stefani’s trying her best to manage a balance between work and home. “When my kids were teenagers, I really wanted to make sure that I was home for them,” she noted. “And here we are.” While Shelton has since become a stepfather to Stefani’s three sons, her ex-husband recently revealed on the Not So Hollywood podcast that he doesn’t “really co-parent” with Stefani and her new husband. The rocker cited their “opposing views” stemming from the fact that both parties are “really different people.” “I think you can go one of two ways,” Rossdale explained on the podcast in June. “You can either do everything together... or you can just parent. And I think we just parent.” Read More To shave or not to shave: How women can participate in No-Shave November Game of Thrones actor announces ‘unbearable loss’ of baby after stillbirth Nicki Minaj opens up about navigating parental anxiety after birth of her son To shave or not to shave: How women can participate in No-Shave November Game of Thrones actor announces ‘unbearable loss’ of baby after stillbirth Nicki Minaj opens up about navigating parental anxiety after birth of her son

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Game of Thrones star Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson has announced that he and his wife, Kelsey Henson, experienced the “unbearable loss” of a stillbirth. In a joint Instagram post shared on 10 November, the actor - known for his role as “The Mountain” in the HBO drama series - revealed that his daughter Grace Morgan Hafthorsdottir was delivered at 21 and a half weeks. “It is with great sorrow that we announce the birth of our daughter, Grace Morgan Hafthorsdottir born Nov 8th at 21 1/2 weeks gestation,” the couple captioned the post. “After a noticeable decrease in movement we found out her heart had stopped beating,” Björnsson and Henson continued. “Words cannot describe our pain of this loss or our happiness at being able to spend time with our daughter. She is absolutely beautiful, with blonde lashes and brows and a little smile for mom and dad.” “The love we feel for her is overwhelming. The grief we feel will be with us forever but so will the love. All of our hopes and dreams for her have been taken away from us but I know I will be with her again,” they added. “Her spirit lives on through us and her siblings. We ask that you respect our privacy at this time as we grieve this unbearable loss. Thank you all for any kind words and support.” Björnsson and Henson shared several photographs from the hospital, including images of baby Grace. The 34-year-old professional strongman could be seen lying with his wife in the hospital bed, as they looked down at their daughter wrapped in a white cloth. Another image showed the couple’s three-year-old son, Stormur, sitting alongside his mother and holding baby Grace. Many friends and followers took to the Instagram comments to share their condolences for the couple. “So sorry for your loss,” wrote actor Terry Crews in the comments. “My heart goes out to you both and Stormur,” said fellow athlete Martins Licis. “I’m sorry for your loss, and can’t even begin to imagine what you’re going through. May you guys find peace at whatever pace needed by your hearts.” “Thor, I am so sorry. We all love you big man,” added filmmaker Christopher Bell. In October, the pair announced they were expecting another baby with a sweet Instagram post. Their son could be seen standing in front of his parents, wearing a black T-shirt that read "brother” and holding pictures of Grace’s ultrasound. “Life is precious and I couldn’t be happier to announce that our family is growing bigger,” Björnsson captioned the post. “Kelsey is 19 weeks pregnant with a healthy child who we cannot wait to meet!” Björnsson and Henson tied the knot in October 2018 in the actor’s home country of Iceland. In addition to son Stormur, Björnsson also shares daughter Theresa Líf with ex-girlfriend Thelma Björk Steimann. Read More Nicki Minaj opens up about navigating parental anxiety after birth of her son How much water should we be drinking in a day? Irina Shayk reveals how she and Bradley Cooper make co-parenting daughter Lea ‘work’ Nicki Minaj opens up about navigating parental anxiety after birth of her son How much water should we be drinking in a day? Irina Shayk reveals how she and Bradley Cooper make co-parenting daughter Lea ‘work’

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