Message Content Research Articles

Healthy kids vids: Development and acceptability of narrative healthy lifestyle videos and text messages for parents of young children from socioeconomically disadvantaged populations.

Dietary intake and physical activity behaviours of many Australian children are not meeting recommendations, particularly for those living in socioeconomically disadvantaged circumstances. This study aimed to design and assess the feasibility and acceptability of a suite of narrative videos and text messages focused on healthy eating and physical activity behaviours appropriate for parents of young children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Parents of 1-5-year-old children (n = 6) were recruited to develop a suite of 12 narrative videos on healthy eating and physical activity behaviours, underpinned by theory. Twelve complementary text messages were subsequently developed. A different group of parents (n = 16) recruited from socioeconomically disadvantaged areas reviewed the videos and text messages over 6 weeks and provided feedback via surveys and qualitative interviews (n = 13). There was a high level of engagement with and acceptability of the videos and text message content. Participants found the videos easy to access and they liked the narrative style. Screen time videos and text messages relating to screen time, play and physical activity, role modelling and fussy eating were most useful. Narrative style healthy eating, physical activity and screen time videos and complementary text messages were highly acceptable to the sample of parents of 1-5-year-old children from socioeconomically disadvantaged areas recruited from the Illawarra Shoalhaven region of NSW, Australia. SO WHAT?: Short narrative style videos and text messages are an easy to process and acceptable method of delivering healthy lifestyle promotion content to parents.

Lights, Facts, and Goals: A Novel Framework to Enhance Community Health Messaging Campaign Design, Implementation, and Assessment.

The spread of health misinformation has made the task of health communicators more difficult. However, the success of health messaging hinges not only on meaningful message content but also on the credibility of who is delivering the message. "Trusted messengers," like local leaders and community-based organizations, have a greater ability to influence improvements in community health, due to their shared cultural experience with their communities. Health communication agencies should empower trusted messengers with the tools they need to succeed in health communication. One tool critical for their success is a succinct health messaging framework to plan and implement health messaging. Marketing has "See, Think, Do"-a simple, practical framework used to influence consumer purchases. As a more trustworthy corollary, we propose the "Lights, Facts, and Goals" framework, a concise, authentic, and transparent method for planning, implementing, and assessing health messaging campaigns that influence health improvements. "Lights" refers to different methods of reaching communities like trusted messengers, advertisements, and text messages. "Facts" refers to key sourced scientific information relevant to a specific aspect of community health. "Goals" refers to actions community members can take to improve their health in connection with the communicated health facts. This article describes how the "Lights, Facts, and Goals" framework both simplifies the creation and communication of scientifically sound health messaging and strengthens the partnership between health agencies and trusted messengers in the community. Through "Lights, Facts, and Goals," community-based organizations, community leaders, and their partners will be more effective at improving community health through messaging.

Engaging interested parties to optimize wildfire smoke communication in Canada: challenges with initiating change.

In February 2022, an online Wildfire Smoke Communication Workshop series identified priorities and strategies to improve wildfire smoke communication in Canada. We evaluated the engagement methods, the workshop series and workshop summary report, to determine if participants/organizations initiated changes identified in the workshop to optimize wildfire smoke communication plans. Three evaluation surveys were developed using the RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) framework dimensions and PRISM (Practical, Robust, Implementation, and Sustainability Model) contextual domains to measure the engagement impact. Surveys 1, 2, and 3 were disseminated to workshop participants between February 2022 (post-workshop series), May 2022 (pre-wildfire season), and September 2022 (post-wildfire season). Likert survey responses were analyzed descriptively using means and standard deviations. Open-ended written responses were analyzed using deductive reasoning and response proportions. Of 69 workshop participants, 28, 19, and 13 responded to surveys 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Workshop participation helped survey 1 respondents consider optimizing wildfire smoke communication (M = 3.93, SD = 0.88). Workshop participation and the summary report helped survey 2 respondents consider new actions to optimize wildfire smoke communication (M = 3.84, SD = 0.74). The most intended action in survey 2 (68%, n = 13) and the most common action taken in survey 3 (62%, n = 8) was to simplify message content. The primary limitation to optimization was capacity. The engagement methods, particularly the summary report, were beneficial for organizations to take action to optimize wildfire smoke communication in Canada. Future engagement methods should examine persisting system-level issues and capacity limitations as they undermine the ability to optimize wildfire smoke communication in Canada.

Moral message of tolerance in Coki & Muslim's Youtube podcast on Being Human

Moral messages are an important part so that we can add knowledge about the value of life. Moral messages can be conveyed through means of communication, one of which is through mass media that are comprehensive for the community. Submission of information via YouTube can be done quickly, one of which is through Podcasts. This study aims to determine the contents of the moral message contained in the podcast from the perspective of Coki & Muslims about tolerance for diversity and sensitive comedy on YouTube "Menjadi Manusia". The research method used is a qualitative descriptive method using John Fiske's theory where in conducting this research it describes the emergency of tolerance in Indonesia which has resulted in persecution of Tretan and Coki contained in the podcast content and what moral message is contained therein. By conducting this research, the researchers found results that there is a lack of tolerance in Indonesia and the treatment of organizations, especially the persecution of certain parties they perceive as threats. Therefore, the researcher concludes that the younger generation must do something about this problem of tolerance according to their respective capacities and not become a group that just stays silent and allows intolerance to occur.

Measuring the effect of product and environmental messaging attributes on alternative wine packaging choices

Traditional glass bottles are the wine industry's major source of carbon emissions. Those wishing to reduce the carbon footprint embedded in wine have been looking to alternative packaging, such as PET, aluminium cans, and bag-in-box (BIB) to mitigate the impact. However, these alternative formats pose challenges with consumer acceptance and knowledge of the eco-benefits of each format. This paper uses a discrete choice experiment and latent class analysis to investigate the possible effects of message content and style (abstract vs concrete) on wine purchase in the context of brand size, brand prestige, and pricing. The analysis reveals the presence of two customer segments, which highly emphasise the pack format. Of the four non-glass packs tested, BIB and flat glass lookalike PET bottles score the highest preference after glass bottles. Message content and appeal type score low in their ability to alter preferences, whilst mid-to-low prices increase the chances of alternative packaging to be chosen.

How Does the Community of Students Interpret Statements and Attitudes of Teachers Considering the Hidden Curriculum: A Qualitative Study

Objectives: This study aimed at identifying the content of implicit messages conveyed by female teachers to their female students. Methods: The ethnographic qualitative approach was used to achieve the goals of the study. Fifteen audio recorded class sessions of four teachers teaching the 9th or 10th grades at a certain public school were observed. The four teachers and six students of the observed teachers were also interviewed. The validity and reliability of the obtained data were verified. Results: The study showed several implicit messages conveyed by teachers to their students, such as respect of law, care for cleanliness, and respect of points of view of others. Some other hidden messages are negative; being not so strict about their attendance of classes, when they do not commit themselves to the time of a class, and when they underline certain subjects in the curriculum as being more important than others. The students interpret these messages in two directions, one of them the desire of the female teachers to win the students’ approval and affection and to draw the students closer to them, on the other hand female teachers’ desire to impose their control over the students, and to warn the students that the power and decision returns to the teacher. Conclusions: The teacher's clear message, student reception, and understanding is vital for successful teaching. Differences in message interpretation affect student interaction and acceptance. Teachers must be mindful of implicit meanings and students' interpretations to maintain clear communication and participation.

Tantangan Komunikasi di Era Digital: Memahami Generasi Z

The aim of this research is to analyze Communication Challenges in the Digital Era and Understanding Generation Z. This research is a Literature review. Data collection using documentation from Google School. Data analysis using Systematic Literature Review (SLR). Communication challenges in the current digital era, especially in interacting with Generation Z, is a very wide expansion of the communication field through various digital platforms, such as social media, instant messaging, and online content. Generation Z has unique characteristics that influence the way they communicate, such as a preference for short messages, images and videos that are effective in conveying messages. Understanding and adapting your communication style to them is important for building strong and effective relationships. In addition, it must be acknowledged that Generation Z has a high level of technological awareness, which can raise privacy and security issues that must be managed wisely in an effort to establish successful communication with this generation.

Emotion Detection for Health and Well-being in Short Messaging Systems

The exposure to unpleasant emotions or content in messages can lead to health complications, including high blood pressure and several heart-related disorders. Hence, the identification of unpleasant emotions in written content can serve as a beneficial instrument in addressing certain health-related issues. Emotions can be communicated through diverse modalities, including written text, spoken language, and facial gestures. The objective of this work is to create a Text-based emotion detection system that possesses the capability to accurately identify emotions within text messages. The use of message filtering mechanisms that detect and block content containing negative emotions can serve as a preventive measure to shield users from accessing messages that have the potential to adversely impact their well-being. Conversely, messages that convey positive or neutral emotions remain accessible for comprehension. In order to accomplish this objective, a combination of three machine learning algorithms, namely Naive Bayes, Support Vector Machine, and Logistic Regression, were employed, adhering to the CRISP-DM approach. The Logistic Regression technique achieved the greatest accuracy rate of 98.4% and was employed in the construction of the detection system. The Graphical User Interface (GUI) of the system was developed utilizing HTML and CSS, with the integration of diverse components to establish a comprehensive and operational interface for the user.

Does messaging matter? A registered report on appearance-versus health-based message framing in exercise appeals targeted towards women

ObjectiveProspect theory proposes that message framing differentially impacts the likelihood of engaging in health-related behaviors. Specifically, gain-framed messages that highlight the benefits of engaging in a behavior are more effective at promoting preventative behaviors than loss-framed messages highlighting the costs associated with a lack of engagement. Research suggests that gain-framed messages may more successfully reduce psychological reactance compared to loss-framed messages, which in turn, may promote behavioral change. However, reactance as a mechanism has been largely overlooked in the literature and support for this hypothesis is mixed. These conflicting results may be due to additional factors, such as outcomes of the targeted behavior (health vs. appearance) and goal orientation. Therefore, the present study examined whether message framing (gain- vs. loss-framing) and the fit between a health message’s outcomes of focus (i.e., health vs. appearance) and an individual’s goal orientation predict psychological reactance, and in turn, cognitive and behavioral outcomes related to exercise. DesignThis study employed a randomized trial with four experimental groups composed of insufficiently active women. Specifically, participants were randomized to view a loss- or gain-framed video emphasizing either health- or appearance-related outcomes. ResultsCounter to expectations, there were no between-group differences on exercise-related attitudes and intentions immediately post-intervention, or self-reported behavior at 1-week post intervention. However, when health outcomes were emphasized, loss-framed messages generally elicited more reactivity than gain-framed messages. This finding was not replicated for the appearance conditions. Appearance messages also generally elicited more reactance than health messages. Meanwhile, reactance did not predict changes in exercise-related attitudes, intentions, or self-reported behavior, and the relationship between messaging content and reactance was generally not moderated by goal orientation. ConclusionFor young inactive women, receiving messages geared towards appearance-related risks of inactivity (e.g., weight gain) tended to produce more reactivity than messages geared towards health-related risks of inactivity (e.g., weakened immune system). However, this did not change exercise-related attitudes, intentions, or self-reported behaviors. Health gain-framed education regarding exercise may be an important part of a comprehensive intervention toolkit, but is likely not enough in and of itself to support or hinder exercise engagement, regardless of framing or emphasized outcomes.

Analisis Konten Aktivitas Corporate Social Responsibility Kampanye Goals pada Website MNC Peduli

This research was conducted to find out the message of the Goal Campaign's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities in the form of news published by the MNC Group through the MNC Peduli website. In this study, we analyze news message categories, news message content approaches, and CSR news message values. This research was carried out using qualitative methods and content analysis. The findings from this research are that the message categories used by companies in making CSR news messages are hard news and features. The content approach used in creating MNC Peduli's CSR news messages is a social and spiritual approach. MNC Peduli's CSR news message values have fulfilled the five elements of message values. The conclusion of this study is that MNC Group, through MNC Peduli, publishes messages on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) campaign goals in the form of published news quite optimally by using categories, content approaches, and values that are in line with stakeholder.

A Qualitative Study of Sexual Violence and Attribution of Responsibility in Georgian Youth

Background: Sexual violence is a complex and pressing social issue that needs urgent solutions. Republic of Georgia is one of those countries where despite some advancements in law and practice, patriarchal beliefs and behaviour patterns still prevail in a daily life. So far, there has not been undertaken an in-depth study on how Georgians and particularly youth, define sexual violence and what are the justifications behind these views. The aim of the research is to understand how Georgian students understand sexual violence, who they think are responsible for sexual violence and what are the underlying reasons behind those views. Method: In total, 37 in-depth interviews have been conducted with Georgian students, from September of 2019 to March of 2021. The study participants were recruited from different universities, including the two biggest cities of Georgia - Tbilisi and Batumi. Results: The research revealed that understanding of sexual violence is far more complex than it was expected. Georgian students define sexual violence as a broad category where sexual harassment and sexual coercion have overlapping and at the same time independent meaning. Interpretation and attribution of responsibility in all three categories are dependent on situations and context that contain not only physical violence but also inappropriate touch, insistent gaze, comments about body parts, sexist insults and discrimination, messages of sexual content, psychological pressure and blackmailing. Attribution of responsibility was equally dependent on personal judgements as well as culturally determined stereotypes. Conclusion: Sexual violence is not a new phenomenon in Georgia, but its consideration as a social problem is. The research demonstrated that understanding and judgment on sexual violence, sexual harassment and sexual coercion is nuanced issue and still needs clear categories of definitions.

A Rapid Environmental Scan of South Florida HIV Organizations' Mpox Messaging During the August 2022 Peak of the U.S. Outbreak.

The 2022 outbreak of mpox disproportionately impacted men who have sex with men and people living with HIV. As such, HIV organizations were uniquely situated to reach populations affected by mpox. However, the extent to which these organizations pivoted to address mpox, and what form mpox messaging took, is unknown. We conducted a rapid environmental scan of 29 HIV or sexual health organizations to assess the frequency and content of mpox messaging in August 2022, the peak of the mpox outbreak in Miami, FL. Approximately half of the organizations provided mpox messaging, most of which was accurate. Only 5% of the messages were in Spanish and 4% in Spanish and Haitian Creole. Our findings suggest HIV organizations' pivot to mpox messaging may have been delayed overall and in reaching Spanish- and Haitian Creole-speaking communities. Results could inform modifications to mpox messaging campaigns and future outbreaks that disproportionately affect minoritized communities.

“About God at war”. Forms and features of religious Internet folklore pertaining to the Russo-Ukrainian war

The article focuses on the issue of religious online folklore disseminated in connection with the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the popular social media platform Facebook (Ukrainian version), between April and June 2022. The aim of the analysis of the collected material presented in the text is to show the basic forms and functions of religious folklore in the context of the Russo-Ukrainian war, their relationship with other messages of religious content (prayers, appeals and supplications) and the specificity of Internet communication. The authors undertake to show the connections the studied messages exhibit with religious thinking and the Christian tradition on a verbal and visual level, as well as the identity of the Ukrainian people. They also point to the importance of Internet communication in times of helplessness and deep crisis.

Policy Implementation Strategy of Link and Match for Vocational High School with Industry and the World of Work in Tangerang District, Indonesia

This research aims to analyze the implementation of the link and match policy for Vocational High Schools with Industry and the business world in Tangerang Regency, determine the causes of the low success of implementing this policy, and formulate a strategy for implementing the link and match policy for Vocational High Schools with Industry and the business world in Tangerang Regency. The research utilizes Goggin's policy implementation theory as its analytical framework. The research method employed is descriptive research, supplemented by strategic analysis through SWOT analysis. The study focuses on Vocational High Schools in the Tangerang Regency area and the Education and Culture Office in Banten Province. The findings of the research indicate that the implementation of the link and match policy for Vocational High Schools with the industry and the business sector in Tangerang Regency has not reached its full potential. The suboptimal implementation of the link and match policy can be attributed to subpar message content, ineffective message formats, and less-than-optimal leader perceptions. The weakest elements according to research are the content of the message, the indicator of the credibility of the message as a solution, and the resource costs on the perception of the leader. The strategy formulated to optimize the implementation of the Vocational School link and match policy with Industry, Business & Entrepreneurs in Tangerang Regency, is to implement a progressive or aggressive strategy.

An mHealth Text Messaging Program Providing Symptom Detection Training and Psychoeducation to Improve Hypoglycemia Self-Management: Intervention Development Study.

Hypoglycemia remains a challenge for roughly 25% of people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) despite using advanced technologies such as continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) or automated insulin delivery systems. Factors impacting hypoglycemia self-management behaviors (including reduced ability to detect hypoglycemia symptoms and unhelpful hypoglycemia beliefs) can lead to hypoglycemia development in people with T1D who use advanced diabetes technology. This study aims to develop a scalable, personalized mobile health (mHealth) behavioral intervention program to improve hypoglycemia self-management and ultimately reduce hypoglycemia in people with T1D who use advanced diabetes technology. We (a multidisciplinary team, including clinical and health psychologists, diabetes care and education specialists, endocrinologists, mHealth interventionists and computer engineers, qualitative researchers, and patient partners) jointly developed an mHealth text messaging hypoglycemia behavioral intervention program based on user-centered design principles. The following five iterative steps were taken: (1) conceptualization of hypoglycemia self-management processes and relevant interventions; (2) identification of text message themes and message content development; (3) message revision; (4) patient partner assessments for message readability, language acceptability, and trustworthiness; and (5) message finalization and integration with a CGM data-connected mHealth SMS text message delivery platform. An mHealth web-based SMS text message delivery platform that communicates with a CGM glucose information-sharing platform was also developed. The mHealth SMS text messaging hypoglycemia behavioral intervention program HypoPals, directed by patients' own CGM data, delivers personalized intervention messages to (1) improve hypoglycemia symptom detection and (2) elicit self-reflection, provide fact-based education, and suggest practical health behaviors to address unhelpful hypoglycemia beliefs and promote hypoglycemia self-management. The program is designed to message patients up to 4 times per day over a 10-week period. A rigorous conceptual framework, a multidisciplinary team (including patient partners), and behavior change techniques were incorporated to create a scalable, personalized mHealth SMS text messaging behavioral intervention. This program was systematically developed to improve hypoglycemia self-management in advanced diabetes technology users with T1D. A clinical trial is needed to evaluate the program's efficacy for future clinical implementation.

The Design and Testing of a Text Message for Use as an Informational Nudge in a Novel Food Insecurity Intervention

Food insecurity is an ongoing problem in the U.S. with implications for health problems and social disadvantages. Past food insecurity intervention studies have targeted barriers to accessing healthy food. However, information barriers have not been adequately addressed by food insecurity interventions. This research included the first phase of a two-phase feasibility study that involved testing a text message as an informational nudge through interviews among a small, preliminary sample of adults in the southwest U.S. (n = 10). Interview questions focused on the message content, persuasiveness, relevancy, clarity, and details that participants liked and disliked. A qualitative content analysis of interview responses then highlighted any necessary modifications to the text message. Interview responses highlighted that the message conveyed details about how to access food assistance resources. The message was perceived as informative, clear, and friendly. Participants highlighted the need for better spacing in the message layout, more details about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and a better explanation for why SNAP is relevant. Text message readability, relevancy, and informativeness were common concerns raised during interviews. Participant-informed modifications to the text message were applied in preparation for using the message in a food insecurity intervention. This research is a novel contribution to the extant literature on nudges, as no known intervention study has used informational nudges to exclusively promote food security. Future food insecurity research efforts should similarly test novel interventions to ensure the intervention is acceptable and relevant for the target population.

Identifying Common Topics in Patient Portal Messages with Unsupervised Natural Language Processing.

Patient portal messaging is an increasingly important form of communication between patients and medical providers. This has become particularly relevant in oncology, where patients undergo intense longitudinal treatments that require frequent communication regarding symptoms, appointments, and diagnostic results. The rise in the volume of these messages has significantly increased the workload of medical providers and consequent physician burn-out. Natural language processing (NLP), particularly transformer-based models, may offer an automated approach to characterize the content of patient messages and improve message triage and routing. In this study, we employed a state-of-the-art language model (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers; BERT) to identify data-derived categories of representative topics from real-world data thereby providing basic information to build an appropriate routing system. Patient-generated portal messages sent to a messaging pool for a single institution radiation oncology department from 2014 to 2023 were extracted. BERTopic, an NLP-based topic modeling technique based on BERT was optimized for topic modeling of patient messages. Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) was used to reduce dimensionality and visualize topic relationships across messages. The BERTopic-identified topic categories were subsequently labeled manually by one of the physician investigators. Differences of number of messages over time were assessed using t-tests. A total of 47,492 messages were retrieved. The average number of messages per month from a single patient ranged from 1 to 18 (median 1.67, interquartile range 1.0-2.4). The total volume of patient messages showed a ten-fold increase over the study period, with 101 messages per month sent in 2014 and 999 messages per month in 2022 (p<0.001). BERTopic initially identified 35 topics whose relationships and degrees of overlap were visualized by UMAP. Due to physician-identified similarities, these topics were reduced into 13 categories. The most frequent topic category was messages about laboratory tests or imaging studies: 24.3%, followed by messages expressing appreciation: 18.9%, scheduling discussions: 15.6%, symptom-related messages: 11%, and treatment-related messages: 10.7%. Patient portal messages sent to a single institution radiation oncology department have increased dramatically in volume since implementation, corresponding to a broader national trend. NLP successfully identified common subject themes across patient messages, many of which are related to scheduling. This presents potential opportunities to apply NLP to automate message routing in the future.

Ethnic-racial identity and ethnic-racial socialization competency: How minoritized parents "walk the talk".

Ethnic-racial identity (ERI) has important implications for individual psychosocial functioning as well as familial processes. For example, parents' ERI can shape children's developmental contexts through ethnic-racial socialization (ERS). Yet, existing research has tended to focus on the content or frequency of socialization messages themselves rather than on internal factors like socialization competence. Such competence, as reflected through confidence, skills, and stress, represents critical dimensions that permeate the socialization process and can impact the delivery of messages. The present study examines whether parents' ERI (i.e., private regard, centrality, exploration) is related to perceptions of their socialization competence. Data from 203 Black, 194 Asian American, and 188 Latinx parents (N = 585, Mage = 44.46 years, SD = 9.14, 59.70% mothers) of adolescents between the ages of 10-18 were collected via Qualtrics panels. Across all parents, private regard, centrality, and ethnic-racial exploration were positively associated with perceived confidence and skills in engaging in ERS. Regard was additionally associated with lower socialization stress. The results point to consistent benefits of ERI in helping parents navigate ERS, furthering the understanding of ERI's developmental implications through parents' comfort with and ability to "walk the talk" with their children. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Your DRM Can Watch You Too: Exploring the Privacy Implications of Browsers (mis)Implementations of Widevine EME

Thanks to HTML5, users can now view videos on Web browsers without installing plug-ins or relying on specific devices. In 2017, W3C published Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) as the first official Web standard for Digital Rights Management (DRM), with the overarching goal of allowing seamless integration of DRM systems on browsers. EME has prompted numerous voices of dissent with respect to the inadequate protection of users. Of particular interest, privacy concerns were articulated, especially that DRM systems inherently require uniquely identifying information on users' devices to control content distribution better. Despite this anecdotal evidence, we lack a comprehensive overview of how browsers have supported EME in practice and what privacy implications are caused by their implementations. In this paper, we fill this gap by investigating privacy leakage caused by EME relying on proprietary and closed-source DRM systems. We focus on Google Widevine because of its versatility and wide adoption. We conduct empirical experiments to show that browsers diverge when complying EME privacy guidelines, which might undermine users' privacy. For instance, we find that many browsers gladly give away the identifying Widevine Client ID with no or little explicit consent from users. Moreover, we characterize the privacy risks of users tracking when browsers miss applying EME guidelines regarding privacy. Because of being closed-source, our work involves reverse engineering to dissect the contents of EME messages as instantiated by Widevine. Finally, we implement EME Track, a tool that automatically exploits bad Widevine-based implementations to break privacy.

On Using Conversational Frameworks to Support Natural Language Interaction in Intelligent Tutoring Systems

In this paper, we analyse the potential of conversational frameworks to support the adaptation of existing tutoring systems to a natural language form of interaction. We have based our research on a pilot study, in which the open-source machine learning framework Rasa has been used to build a conversational agent that interacts with an existing Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) called Hypergraph Based Problem Solver (HBPS). This agent has been seamlessly integrated into the ITS to replace the previously available button-based user interface and allow the user to interact with HBPS in natural language. Once appropriately trained, the conversational agent was capable of identifying the intention of a given user utterance and extracting the relevant entities related to the message content, with average weighted F1-scores of 0.965 and 0.989 for intents and entities, respectively. Methodological guidelines are provided to generate a realistic training set that enables the creation of the required Natural Language Understanding (NLU) model and also evaluate the resulting system. These guidelines can be easily exported to other ITS and contexts, to provide an enhanced interaction based on natural language processing methods.