{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T11:40:54Z","timestamp":1792755654919,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"21","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1792713600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1792713600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Appl. Sci.","Applied Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>(1) Background: Population ageing highlights the need for interventions promoting meaningful participation and occupational engagement. Social robots may support engagement in meaningful activities, but evidence addressing occupational engagement remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the role of an animal-like social robot in facilitating occupational engagement among older adults. (2) Methods: A longitudinal single-group pre\u2013post study was conducted with 60 cognitively intact older adults attending day centres. Participants engaged in meaningful social, leisure, cognitive, creative, and activity-based experiences incorporating the MetaCat Smart Robot Cat twice weekly for three months, with 30\u201340 min sessions. Occupational engagement was assessed using the Engagement in Meaningful Activities Survey, while occupational performance and satisfaction were evaluated using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. Human\u2013robot interaction was also monitored. (3) Results: EDIAS scores increased significantly after the intervention (mean change: 4.4 points; 95% CI: 3.4\u20135.4; p &lt; 0.001; Cohen\u2019s d = 0.82), alongside improvements in occupational performance and satisfaction. Spontaneous interaction initiation and persistence increased over time and were positively associated with occupational engagement. (4) Conclusions: Animal-like social robots may facilitate occupational engagement when embedded in meaningful activities. Controlled studies are needed to establish causal effects.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/app162110491","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T10:55:29Z","timestamp":1792752929000},"page":"10491","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["From Social Interaction to Occupational Engagement: Evaluating the Role of Social Robots in Meaningful Activities for Older Adults"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8227-3509","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cristina","family":"Perdomo-Delgado","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Group on Assessment and Valuation of Capacity, Functionality, and Disability (TO + IDI), Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Rey Juan Carlos University, Avenida de Atenas s\/n., Alcorcon, 28922 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jacqueline","family":"Cartagena-Julio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Facultad Ciencias de la Rehabilitaci\u00f3n y Calidad de Vida, Universidad San Sebasti\u00e1n, Sede Los Leones, Santiago 7500000, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alex","family":"R\u00edos-Ruiz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Facultad Ciencias de la Rehabilitaci\u00f3n y Calidad de Vida, Universidad San Sebasti\u00e1n, Sede Los Leones, Santiago 7500000, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francisca","family":"Espinosa-Torres","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Group on Assessment and Valuation of Capacity, Functionality, and Disability (TO + IDI), Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Rey Juan Carlos University, Avenida de Atenas s\/n., Alcorcon, 28922 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ana","family":"Valdebenito-Aravena","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Facultad Ciencias de la Rehabilitaci\u00f3n y Calidad de Vida, Universidad San Sebasti\u00e1n, Sede Los Leones, Santiago 7500000, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jaime","family":"Bernal-Corral","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Group on Assessment and Valuation of Capacity, Functionality, and Disability (TO + IDI), Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Rey Juan Carlos University, Avenida de Atenas s\/n., Alcorcon, 28922 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5831-8770","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aitor","family":"Yusta-Ceacero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Group on Assessment and Valuation of Capacity, Functionality, and Disability (TO + IDI), Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Rey Juan Carlos University, Avenida de Atenas s\/n., Alcorcon, 28922 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8882-2137","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nuria","family":"M\u00e1ximo-Bocanegra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Group on Assessment and Valuation of Capacity, Functionality, and Disability (TO + IDI), Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Rey Juan Carlos University, Avenida de Atenas s\/n., Alcorcon, 28922 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4009-6185","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marta","family":"P\u00e9rez-de-Heredia-Torres","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Group on Assessment and Valuation of Capacity, Functionality, and Disability (TO + IDI), Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Rey Juan Carlos University, Avenida de Atenas s\/n., Alcorcon, 28922 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"125","DOI":"10.1007\/s40520-025-03021-8","article-title":"Aging, longevity, and healthy aging: The public health approach","volume":"37","author":"Gianfredi","year":"2025","journal-title":"Aging Clin. 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