Living conditions, work environment, and intention to stay among doctors working in rural areas of Odisha state, India

Backgrounds: In India, fewer doctors work in rural areas than urban locations, despite having greater health needs for rural populations. At the same time, living conditions and work environment present many challenges in rural and underserved areas. Therefore, fostering and creating a congenial work environment is of paramount importance in rural areas. This study analyses living conditions, work environment, and the factors that influence the intention to stay among doctors in current posts of work in rural areas of Odisha state, India. Materials and Methods: A nonexperimental cross-sectional study design was conducted to collect data from 233 doctors working in rural health facilities in Odisha, India. The data were collected through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 18. The statistical significance of the association between variables was assessed using logistic regression. Results: The study of the investigated doctor showed that 57.6% of doctors wanted to stay and continue working in rural areas for the next 36 months. The logistic regression outlined that age, time travel (one way) to workplace, and work environment were the significant factors that are associated with intent to stay in rural areas. Conclusions: Formulating effective strategies to bring about improvement in work environment for doctors community working in rural regions should form a critical component of rural retention efforts.