Assessment the level of motivation and associated Factors among health extension workers in jimma zone, South west ethiopia.

Abstract

Background: Worldwide shortages of key health care workers have been addressed by development of frontline health workers to reach the Millennium Development Goals. In Ethiopia, around 30,000 Health Extension Workers (HEWs) currently are working in rural areas, where 84% of the population lives. The main objective of HEWs were to improve access and equity of essential health services at the village and household levels, reducing maternal and child mortality and to promote an overall healthy lifestyle.While the program was innovative as well as the information on motivation of Health Extension Workers not rich enough to guide policy makers and health managers. Therefore, the objective of the study was to assess level of motivation and associated factors among HEWs in Jimma Zone, southwest Ethiopia. Methods: Cross sectional study with quantitative and qualitative data collection methods, in Jimma Zone, from March 15/2011 –April 15/2011, was conducted. A computer-generated simple random sample of 301 HEWs was selected from the zonal HEWs department‘s list of 936 HEWs. Data were collected using pre-tested and self administered questionnaire contains personal characteristics, determinant (individual, organizational and socio-cultural), motivation and intention to leave items. Each item except in socio-demographic and job related factors had a five point Likert-scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS for windows version 16.Factor analysis was used for data reduction and to compute factor score. For identifying predictors of motivation and intention to leave multiple linear regression analyses using regression factor score were used. Comparisons of mean carried out by T-test and analysis of variance. Results: Two hundred eighty four (94.4%) HEWs returned the questionnaire. The mean score and Std. Deviation of motivational outcome were 71.43 (10.50). Job recognition, pride, feedback and organizational citizenship behavior,want to transfer, organization support, year of service, pre-hire expectation of HEWs, and community support were main independent predictors of HEWs motivation(P<0.05). General Job satisfaction, intrinsic satisfaction and year of service were shown to have influence on intention to leave. Conclusion: The HEWs were moderately motivated.Job recognition, pride, feedback, organization support, community support, pre-hire expectation ,Want to transfer, length of year of service, and co workers have influence on motivational outcomes. The HEWs are neither bent on leaving nor staying. General Job satisfaction, intrinsic satisfaction and year of service have impact on intention to leave .For Ministry of Health and District Health offices, it is better to consider on continous feedback and recognition, transfer, considering year of services to promotion and strengthing co-workers relationship in order to enhance motivation and retention.