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Creators/Authors contains: "Shih, Patrick"

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  1. Abstract BackgroundAs restrictive abortion laws continue to emerge in various states of the United States, pregnant individuals are turning to alternative channels to seek abortion medication, one of which is engaging in self-managed medication abortion, purchasing the medication from online websites without any medical prescriptions. ObjectiveThis study explores the phenomenon of self-managed abortion medication sought by using online tools, by focusing mainly on the motivational factors and concerns behind such a decision, and the abortion seekers’ journey throughout this process. MethodsWe conducted 20 semistructured interviews with individuals who have sought an abortion in the United States by buying medication online. The interviews occurred online, and participants were compensated for their participation. Participants were recruited from Reddit communities centered around abortion access. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. The data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. ResultsThe results showed that participants expressed the need for anonymity, digital and physical, when seeking an abortion and considered self-managed abortion to be more economically and time-convenient. They also discussed how much self-managed abortion can lead to isolation and anxiety because of the lack of medical support and the sole reliance on information found online. The risks, such as counterfeit medication, possible fraud, and issues of timing, associated with seeking a self-managed abortion were extensively discussed by participants. ConclusionsOur research uncovered the motivational factors behind relying on online tools to purchase abortion medication and engaging in self-managed abortion. Moreover, our research provides evidence of the importance of digital services to offer pregnant individuals a way to find abortion medication detached from their physical communities, circumventing the stigma associated with seeking an abortion and the sociocultural consequences of it. This promised anonymity is the core motivational factor that encourages pregnant individuals to prefer these systems compared to legal options. However, behind this promised anonymity, privacy and security concerns might be hidden. 
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  2. Abstract There is little understanding of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior as preventive health behaviors in autistic adults. Technology has been used as an educational and social intervention tool for autistic individuals, yet it is also associated with low PA and high sedentary time (ST) in the neurotypical population. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of self-reported PA and ST and their relationships with various technology uses in autistic adults. We employed a Qualtrics online survey that consisted of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form, Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire, and National Alliance for Mental Illness’s digital technology use survey. 229 responses (74.6% under 35 years of age; 64.1% males) satisfied the response validity criteria and were included in the analyses. The majority of participants (78%) met the recommended PA amount of ≥ 600 metabolic equivalent of task (MET)-minutes/week (median, 1,812 total MET-minutes/week), but they were also overly sedentary on both weekdays (median, 8 h/day) and weekends (median, 7 h/day). Stepwise multiple regression analyses revealed that variance of ST in weekday (45%) and weekend (43%) was largely explained by quality of life (β = -0.31;β = -0.33) and technology use time (β = 0.31;β = 0.26) (allp < .01). While technology can be an effective tool to support social and academic abilities in autistic adults, the use of technology devices needs to be monitored with care as it may put these individuals at risk for sedentary lifestyles and associated chronic diseases. 
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  3. Historically, transgender people of color (TPOC) have been silenced in white trans spaces for not fitting into transnormativity - the typical white, binary, skinny, and privileged image of trans people, and for raising concerns related to race, culture, and ethnicity. Social media and online communities serve as supportive spaces for transgender (shortened to trans) individuals; however, trans people of color require even more support combating systematic oppression, managing increased levels of discrimination, and navigating their cultural backgrounds. In order to understand how TPOC use social media, we explore the experiences of TPOC on Reddit. We used the Reddit API to obtain Reddit posts from four prominent transgender subreddits (r/ftm, r/mtf, r/trans, and r/Non-Binary) which included the phrase people of color or the abbreviation POC, resulting in a total of 145 posts and 2867 comments. Thematic analysis was then used to identify three themes of discussion - alienation, support, and existing in physical spaces, which informed our design considerations. Experiences shared in the Reddit posts indicated that TPOC feel overshadowed by white trans individuals in online communities and desire to build connections with other TPOC both online and in person. We propose design recommendations for both Reddit as a platform and subreddit moderators that regulate online trans communities to encourage growing networks among TPOC, improve communication among users and moderators, and design spaces that center POC voices within subreddits, all of which provide a much more supportive online environment for TPOC. 
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  4. Music therapists (MT-BCs) use diverse technologies to provide evidence-based personalized interventions to a wide variety of people. Most studies on the technological practices of MT-BCs report a general overview of the tools they use in their daily work. This study offers an new way of understanding technologies used by MT-BCs, classified and situated in the phases of music therapy (MT) practice: Assessment, Treatment Planning, In-Session, Documentation and Evaluation. An online survey was sent to a mailing list of 1,951 board-certified music therapists (MT-BC), and we received 104 responses. Results support distinct functions in technological practices between each of the phases of MT, revealing categories of notetaking and data entry that characterize planning, documentation and evaluation tasks, and a wider diversity of technology configurations in assessment and in-session work. We end by discussing design implications for HCI researchers and designers of music technologies for health, as well as HCI-MT design collaboration to better support the work of the MT-BC community. 
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  5. Abstract BackgroundWith the increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into various aspects of daily life, there is a growing interest among designers and practitioners in incorporating AI into their fields. In health care domains like art therapy, AI is also becoming a subject of exploration. However, the use of AI in art therapy is still undergoing investigation, with its benefits and challenges being actively explored. ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the integration of AI into art therapy practices to comprehend its potential impact on therapeutic processes and outcomes. Specifically, the focus is on understanding the perspectives of art therapists regarding the use of AI-assisted tools in their practice with clients, as demonstrated through the presentation of our prototype consisting of a deck of cards with words covering various categories alongside an AI-generated image. MethodsUsing a co-design approach, 10 art therapists affiliated with the American Art Therapy Association participated in this study. They engaged in individual interviews where they discussed their professional perspectives on integrating AI into their therapeutic approaches and evaluating the prototype. Qualitative analysis was conducted to derive themes and insights from these sessions. ResultsThe study began in August 2023, with data collection involving 10 participants taking place in October 2023. Our qualitative findings provide a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of AI on facilitating therapeutic processes. The combination of a deck of cards and the use of an AI-generated tool demonstrated an enhancement in the quality and accessibility of therapy sessions. However, challenges such as credibility and privacy concerns were also identified. ConclusionsThe integration of AI into art therapy presents promising avenues for innovation and progress within the field. By gaining insights into the perspectives and experiences of art therapists, this study contributes knowledge for both practical application and further research. 
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  6. In a world faced with ever-growing crises of climate change, economic inequality, and social injustice, sustainability has become a catch-all term to address these challenges and more. However, efforts to measure the social, environmental, and economic factors of sustainability are undermined by inconsistent understandings of the term. This research seeks to address this gap in sustainability research by constructing a wide-reaching propensity instrument that incorporates the different constructs of sustainability. A literature review informed propensity instrument construction. The first version of the instrument included 269 items, which were narrowed to 100 after an iterative process of merging, refinement, and elimination. The 100 scale items were deployed through an online survey, where 162 responses were collected to inform data analysis. Principal component analysis revealed two primary factors of Sustainable Behavior and Sustainability Attitude. After further refinement based on items’ factor-loading scores and communalities, 13 items remained that described sustainability as environmentally and socially conscious behaviors and attitudes. The third construct of sustainability, economics, was not present after such refinements, suggesting that purely economic behaviors and attitudes are disparate from individuals’ sustainability propensity. This new propensity instrument informs the understanding of sustainability and provides a tool for measuring sustainability with more breadth. 
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