Health professionals’ intention to leave and associated factors in public health centers of guji zone, south est Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Health worker’s turnover is an increasing problem that threatens the functioning of the health care sector worldwide. Especially in developing countries it is very detrimental and costly for the country as well as to different organizations. Intention to leave is one of the biggest predictors and an immediate sign of employee’s turnover. It is the most pressing problems of health system of developing countries. However, factors associated with Health professionals’ intention to leave their job were not well known in Guji zone health centers. Objective: To assess the magnitude of intention to leave their current job and associated factors among health professionals working in Guji zone public health centers. Methods: Facility based cross-sectional study was conducted among 262 health professional working in Guji zone, South East Oromia from August 13, to September 02/ 2018. The calculated sample size proportionally allocated to randomly selected 31 health centers. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaire by trained data facilitators. The collected data were entered in to Epi-data version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Variables which showed association in bivariable analysis at p-value < 0.25 were considered for multiple logistic regression model. At the final model strength of association was measured through adjusted odd ratio along with 95% CI p-value of <0.05 was considered to determine level of statistical significance. Result The magnitude of intention to leave the public health centers was 54.7%. Respondents who were looking for high salary (AOR=3.3, 95% CI: (1.69, 6.47), P<.000), finding higher education opportunity (AOR=0.45, 95%CI: (0.245, .824), P<0.02) and who had dissatisfied with the availability of drugs had (AOR=0.49, 95% CI: (0.294, 0.824) were significantly associated with intention to leave the organization. Conclusion The overall intention to leave among health professionals was high (54.7). Finding for higher education opportunity, dissatisfied with the availability of drugs and finding high salary were significantly associated with intention to leave. Based on study findings we would like to recommend that the responsible bodies should improve health care worker’s retention with aggressively work on the concerns identified problems.