Turnover intention and associated factors among employees of regional and city health regulatory bodies in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

High employee turnover has become a significant global challenge, especially within the healthcare sector. The most significant indicator of employee turnover is turnover intention, which reflects an employee’s inclination to leave their current job. This issue is particularly concerning within health regulatory bodies, which are entrusted with upholding healthcare standards and ensuring the delivery of quality care. Nevertheless, research assessing turnover intention within this group remains absent in Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess turnover intention and associated factors among employees of regional and city health regulatory bodies in Ethiopia. A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted to examine turnover intention among regional and city health regulatory bodies. Data were collected between October 1 and November 30, 2023, and then rigorously cleaned and processed in Epi Data version 4.2 before being transferred to SPSS version 26 for advanced analysis. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were conducted, yielding key metrics, such as percentages and odds ratios, which formed a solid foundation for interpreting the study’s findings. Turnover intentions were reported by 55.5% of the 418 participants. In the adjusted model, significant factors associated with turnover intention were having fewer than two family members (AOR = 6.077), working in a city other than one’s family residence (AOR = 3.241), living apart from one’s spouse and/or children (AOR = 2.040), dissatisfaction with salary (AOR = 7.021) or organization (AOR = 2.705), and, as a protective factor, the lack of adequate educational infrastructure for one’s children (AOR = 0.411). A significant proportion of health personnel working in regional and city health regulatory agencies in Ethiopia exhibited turnover intention. Addressing this issue requires targeted interventions that focus on improving employee salaries, enhancing organizational environments, and supporting employees to achieve work-life balance.