(1) Background: Currently, the scientific evidence on the benefits of assisted therapy with dogs in dementia is not clear. In this study, we want to evaluate such benefits through a randomized controlled clinical trial in multiple centers across the country. (2) Methods: The participants were people over 65 years old with dementia, residing in senior centers in Spain (n = 334). The experimental group underwent assisted therapy with dogs based on the Comprehensive Cognitive Activation Program in Dementia, for 8 months, with weekly sessions of 45 min. Data were collected at the commencement, middle, and end of the program, to evaluate the aspects using the Mini-Examination Cognitive, the modified Bartell Index, the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. (3) Results: The results show significant improvements in the experimental group versus the control group in the affective (T1 = p 0.000; T2 = p 0.000) and behavioral (T1 = p 0.005; T2 = p 0.000) aspects, with the affective aspect displaying greater progress in participants with additional depressive (p = 0.022) or anxiety (p = 0.000) disorders, shorter institutionalization periods (r = −0.222, p = 0.004), and those undergoing complementary psychotherapy (p = 0.033) or alternative therapy (p = 0.011). (4) Conclusions: Dog therapy is effective in improving the affective and behavioral aspects of institutionalized patients with dementia.

Background: Wound healing competence is implied in the nursing profession, but there is no standardized content regulation for wound care in university curricula. The primary objective of this study was to identify the barriers to the acquisition of knowledge about skin integrity impairment. Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test study with an ad hoc questionnaire involved 304 students (control: 165; intervention: 139) from June to July 2023. A 10-h educational intervention focused on skin integrity assessment and treatment was conducted. Results: The control group, scoring 17 ± 0.22 out of a maximum of 61, achieved a significantly lower final test score (p < 0.001) compared to the wound care educational intervention group, with the pre-test group scoring 30 ± 0.76 and the post-test group scoring 43 ± 0.61. The educational intervention in wound care program improved nursing students’ knowledge of prevention, assessment/diagnosis, treatment, lower limb wounds, and wound bed preparation by replacing the number of "Don’t know" answers in the post-test group with correct answers. Conclusions: The barriers identified to the acquisition of knowledge about skin integrity impairment in nursing studies are the following: the transversality of teaching, the teaching and evaluation system, and the variability in the training of professionals and teachers in charge of their education. The educational intervention can be used to consolidate knowledge and to enhance students’ self-confidence in caring for patients with wounds.

Background/Objectives: This study examines the effectiveness of equine-assisted intervention (EAI) in improving adaptive behaviour and motor skills in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: To that effect, a self-controlled experimental analytical study has been designed, which is longitudinal and prospective in nature, with pre- and post-intervention measures, using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale II (VABS-II) as the assessment instrument. The sample consists of 19 children who participated in weekly therapeutic sessions involving horses for eight months; these sessions included horseback riding, groundwork, hygiene, and preparation of the horse. Results: The results show significant improvements both in the overall score of the VABS-II test ($\overline{\mathrm{x}}$pre: 65.84 ± 10.38–$\overline{\mathrm{x}}$post: 72.47 ± 16.21, p = 0.003) and in the areas of communication ($\overline{\mathrm{x}}$pre: 64.84 ± 15.50 ~ $\overline{\mathrm{x}}$post: 72.26 ± 21.93, p = 0.010), social skills ($\overline{\mathrm{x}}$pre: 61.26 ± 8.99 ~ $\overline{\mathrm{x}}$post: 66.53 ± 13.79, p = 0.008) and daily living skills (DLS) ($\overline{\mathrm{x}}$pre: 66.21 ± 11.15 ~ $\overline{\mathrm{x}}$post: 69.95 ± 12.32, p = 0.0004), as well as a non-significant slight improvement in motor skills ($\overline{\mathrm{x}}$pre: 72.50 ± 8.83 ~ $\overline{\mathrm{x}}$post: 75.17 ± 7.88, p = 0.363). In addition, these gains were greater in those children attending standard classroom settings and receiving early stimulation. Conclusions: This study suggests equine-assisted intervention (EAI) may contribute to improvements in adaptive behaviour, including communication, social skills, and daily living skills, in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Benefits were notably enhanced in children receiving early stimulation within standard classroom settings.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has become a significant health crisis, marked by high mortality rates on a global scale, with mortality from the disease being notably concentrated among the elderly due to various factors.Objective: This study aims to investigate the biological and non-biological factors associated with COVID-19 mortality rates among the elderly worldwide.Methods: The following databases will be consulted: PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science and ScienceDirect. Longitudinal observational studies (cohort and case-control—risk factors) will be included. The risk of bias, defined as low, moderate, high, will be assessed using the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Quality Assessment Tool for observational cohort and cross-sectional studies. Two independent authors will conduct the searches, and any possible disagreements will be resolved by a third author. Heterogeneity between study results will be assessed using a standard X²test with a significance level of 0.05, and an I²value will be calculated to further assess heterogeneity. The random effects model for meta-analyses will be adopted to distribute the weight between the studies and standardize their contributions. The meta-analyses will be conducted using RevMan software.Discussion: Despite the numerous publications on COVID-19 mortality among the elderly, there is still a gap in knowledge, as there is no systematic review and meta-analysis that summarizes the main biological and non-biological associated factors globally.Conclusion: The results of this study will consolidate the latest evidence and address gaps in the overall understanding of biological or non-biological associated factors. This knowledge will facilitate the development of appropriate health strategies for this demographic group and pave the way for further research.Trial registration: PROSPERO (CRD42023400873).

Objectives: This pilot study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of the Up-Res school-based resilience intervention designed for immigrant and refugee students in European secondary schools (Germany and Greece). Methods: A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was implemented across four pilot schools in Germany and Greece. In the quantitative phase, 57 immigrant and refugee students (aged 12–15 years; 63.2% male) completed the 25-item Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-25) across three time points (PreTest, PosTest after Module 1, and final PosTest), with longitudinal changes analyzed using Friedman and post hoc Wilcoxon tests. In the qualitative phase, inductive thematic analysis was applied to teacher analytical reports, authorized student interview recordings, and digital reflection journals to evaluate implementation conditions and mechanisms of change. Results: Statistically significant longitudinal gains were observed across all resilience sub-dimensions (all p < 0.001), with overall resilience scores increasing from baseline (60.44 ± 12.72) to mid-intervention (68.88 ± 15.67) and final post-test (74.51 ± 15.90, W = 0.64). The qualitative findings supported these improvements through five key themes: growing student engagement, high contextual relevance of migration-sensitive materials, perceived skill gains (coping, emotion regulation, positive thinking), strengthened trust and willingness to seek adult help, and key practical considerations (pacing and group size). Conclusions: The Up-Res intervention is a feasible, acceptable, and contextually meaningful framework for enhancing psychosocial resilience and social connectedness among displaced youth. Translating abstract concepts into concrete, participatory activities, as well as adopting a strengths-based approach, can facilitate implementation in European educational settings.