More than Half of Health Professionals Working in Peripheral areas of Southeast Ethiopia are intended to leave their Work

Hangasu Udessa, Waju Beyene Sa

Abstract

Background: In addition to disastrous shortage of health professionals in developing countries, turnover is very detrimental and costly for the country as well as to different organizations. Intention to leave is an immediate sign of employee’s turnover. It is among the most pressing problems of health system of developing countries. However, intention to leave and its determinants were not well known in Ethiopia especially in peripheral areas. Objective: The aim of this study was 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, Southeast Ethiopia from August 13, to September 02Ö° 2018. Intention to leave was measured with intention to leave scale tools with five-point Likert scales items. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 software. Both simple and multiple logistic regression models were fit to identify factors associated with intention to leave.  Statistical significant association was declared at p-value less than 0.05 and 95% confidence interval. Strength of association was measured through adjusted odd ratio. Results: Two hundred fifty-six (97.7%) respondents participated in the study; out of this 140(54.7%) have an intention to leave the primary health center they are working in. As a predictor intention to leave; looking for high salary (AOR=3.3, 95% CI: (1.69, 6.47), P<.000), higher education opportunity (AOR=0.45, 95%CI: (0.245, .824), P<0.02) and dissatisfaction about the availability of drugs (AOR=0.49, 95% CI: (0.294, 0.824) were significantly associated. Conclusion: The overall intention to leave among health professionals was in highest proportion (54.7).Decision makers are supposed to focus increasing educational opportunities, financial and non-financial benefits, and equipping health centers with necessary materials and drugs to minimizing intention to leave.