Factors Associated with The Retention of Dentists Working in Provincial Public Health Offices in Thailand

Abstract

This research is a Cross-sectional analytical study. The objective of this research was to study the level of retention in the organization and factors associated with the retention of dentists working in Thailand’s seventy-six provincial public health offices. The study sample consisted of 217 dentists who had worked in a provincial public health office. Data were collected via self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire content validity was audited by three experts. The accuracy of the questionnaires data was analyzed by using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.902. The questionnaire was distributed to the study sample as a Google form, and questionnaire data were collected and compiled from June 7th through June 23rd, 2022, selecting only those who had been working for at least one full year, totaling 163 people. Statistical analysis of the data included frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and Pearson's correlation coefficient.

The results of the study were as follows: (1) Job satisfaction, in terms of motivation factors and maintenance factors, scored at a high level (𝑥̅= 3.85, S.D.= .51 and 𝑥̅= 3.82, S.D.= .59, respectively). (2) Organizational commitment scored at a moderate level (𝑥̅= 3.25, S.D.= .46). (3) Retention in the organization scored at a moderate level 𝑥̅ = 3.35, S.D. = .44). (4) Factors associated with retention included job satisfaction; motivation factors and maintenance factors, both of which reflected a relatively high level of positive correlation at the statistically significant level of 0.01 (r = .649 and .647, respectively). Organizational commitment also reflected a high level of positive correlation with statistically significant at 0.01 (r = .809).