Factors Affecting Health and Tourism Students’ Perceptions of Brain Drain: A Serial Mediation Model

BACKGROUND: To provide the optimum level of health and tourism goals of Turkey, it is important that the supply of well-trained health and tourism professionals meets the demand. Our study aimed to evaluate the sequential mediating role of self-efficacy and financial anxiety levels in the impact of health and tourism students’ life satisfaction on their migration attitudes. METHODS: In the descriptive study, sequential and regulatory mediation model was used in medical, nursing, dentist and tourism students sample in Akdeniz University. The data were collected using a descriptive form and four scales; Attitude for Brain Drain, Life Satisfaction, Self-Efficacy, and Financial Anxiety. Data were analysed with the serial mediation model, logistic and multiple regression. RESULTS: A total of 403 students responded (32.9% response rate), of whom 307 were classified as health group and 96 tourism students. Of these, 83.3% tourism, 74.8% nursing, 56.5% dentistry, 55.7% medical school students indicated they were contemplating migrating following graduation. Participants’ 50.6% expressed an intention of returning to Turkey. The factors most influencing their intent to migrate were attitude towards brain drain (odds ratio [OR], 3.62; 95% Confidence Interval [CI], 2.54-5.18; p = <.001), and faculties (OR, 3.14; 95% CI, 1.55-6.34; p = .001). Financial anxiety, self-efficacy and intention to go abroad are variables that affect the attitude score towards brain drain (F(5,39)=27.01, p <.001). Students’ perceptions of life satisfaction are an important antecedent of brain drain intention, and self-efficacy perception and financial anxiety have mediating effects in this effect. CONCLUSIONS: The potential future emigration of health and tourism students of Turkey poses an immediate and severe threat to the sustainability of the Turk healthcare and tourism service. The fact that about half of those who intend to migrate plan to return indicates that migration will not be permanent. KEY MESSAGES: • Urgent interventions are needed at an undergraduate decreasing of financial anxiety and improving life satisfaction for healthcare and tourism students in Turkey. • The decrease in life satisfaction increases financial anxiety and attitude towards brain drain. Policies that make return migration attractive in the field of health and tourism should be developed.