Awareness of the government-introduced universal pension schemes among the adult population in Bangladesh: A nationwide cross-sectional survey

The Universal Pension Scheme (UPS) was launched in Bangladesh in August 2023 to enhance economic security for the aging population. Despite extensive government promotion, the participation rate remains low, underscoring the critical role of public awareness. Awareness is essential for engagement in any voluntary program and directly impacts its success and sustainability. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate awareness of the UPS and its correlates among the Bangladeshi population. The study's sample size was 1624, and the respondents were from the 18–50 age group from seven administrative divisions in Bangladesh, utilizing a cross-sectional quantitative study design. Age-weighted adjustments were applied to make the study sample representative of the national population in terms of age. Results showed that 47.6 % of respondents were aware of UPS. Awareness significantly varied by respondents' age, education, gender, religion, household income, place of residence, and administrative divisions. Multivariable binary logistic regression revealed that respondents aged 46–50 (aOR = 1.911; 95 %CI = 1.155, 3.164), men (aOR = 1.889; 95 %CI = 1.502, 2.376), individuals with Master's and higher education (aOR = 11.909; 95 %CI = 7.599, 18.664), and respondents from 30001 to 40000 BDT income group (aOR = 2.037; 95 %CI = 1.218, 3.406) had significantly higher odds of awareness. Compared to Dhaka, awareness was lower in Chattogram (aOR = 0.678; 95 %CI = 0.467, 0.984) and Rajshahi (aOR = 0.617; 95 %CI = 0.428, 0.889), but higher in Mymensingh (aOR = 2.251; 95 %CI = 1.390, 3.644), and Khulna (aOR = 2.043; 95 %CI = 1.384, 3.013). These findings highlight the need for targeted promotional strategies, including community outreach programs, social gatherings, diverse advertising platforms, and mobile service delivery, to effectively reach youth, individuals with lower education and income levels, and various geographical areas.