The Influence of Social Protection Knowledge and Trust On S-Praesidium Utilization in Malaysia

Social protection is gaining increased prominence with aims to tackle issues related to inequality, accessibility, and opportunities across economic and social domains, encompassing financial sustainability, decent employment, healthcare access, and retirement security. However, achieving these objectives is hindered by various challenges, including economic recessions, global pandemics, and insufficient public awareness on social protection programs. Consequently, this study delves into the intentions and behaviors, specifically the utilization, of a social protection gamification initiative known as S-Praesidium, evaluating its efficacy in enhancing awareness, knowledge, and trust in social protection measures. A survey of 270 students, analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), reveals that all hypotheses demonstrate significant relationships. Hypothesis (H1) confirms a significant relationship between knowledge and the usage of S-Praesidium, while H2 establishes a significant relationship between trust and usage. Additionally, H3 and H4 indicate that intention significantly mediates the relationships between knowledge and usage, and trust and usage, respectively. Employing the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), the study identifies trust (subjective norms), knowledge (perceived behavioural control), and intention as key determinants of using behaviour. The SEM path model views trust and knowledge as exogenous factors, intention as a mediator, and usage as the outcome, resulting in a clear causal framework. These findings highlight the relevance of trust, knowledge, and intention in strengthening behavioural involvement, suggesting for collaborative efforts by governments, agencies, and educational institutions to improve public inclusion in social protection programs.