Development of the Migration Push and Pull Scale for assessing emigration intention of healthcare workers

Oluwaseun Abdulganiyu Badru; Tunde A. Alabi; Oluwafemi Atanda Adeagbo; Fatai Adesina Badru

doi:10.1016/j.tramob.2026.100005

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Development of the Migration Push and Pull Scale for assessing emigration intention of healthcare workers

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Development of the Migration Push and Pull Scale for assessing emigration intention of healthcare workers

Oluwaseun Abdulganiyu Badru, Tunde A. Alabi, Oluwafemi Atanda Adeagbo and Fatai Adesina Badru

Transnational Mobilities, Vol.2, 100005

06/2026

DOI: 10.1016/j.tramob.2026.100005

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Abstract

There is an ongoing mass exodus of healthcare workers from Nigeria, resulting in a physician-to-patient ratio far below the World Health Organization's recommended 1:600. While several studies have discussed push and pull factors among healthcare workers in Nigeria, a reliable measurement scale is lacking. We developed and tested the Migration Push and Pull Scale (MPPS) to understand and measure push and pull factors among healthcare workers in Nigeria. We conducted a cross-sectional study that included administering an online survey to 531 healthcare workers (e.g., Nurses, Physicians, Pharmacists, and Physiotherapists) across Nigeria. We asked questions to determine respondents' push (19 items) and pull (14 items) factors. We ran exploratory factor analysis to assess the scale's validity (comparative fit index, Tucker-Lewis index, root mean square error of approximation) and reliability (internal consistency and split-half reliability). We found 17 items, with a reliability score of .89, that adequately measured push factors and cut across five domains: environmental instability domain (five items), work-related domain (four items), economic domain (three items), health system domain (three items), and professional development domain (two items). For pull factors, 14 items, with a reliability score of .91, cut across two domains: the work and career improvement domain (nine items) and the social prestige and future domain (five items). While the reliability domains in each of the two factors loaded well and yielded good results, the tool needs to be tested in clinical settings and other aspects of the health system.

Emigration

Healthcare workers

Migration intention

Pull factors

Push factors

Details

Title: Subtitle: Development of the Migration Push and Pull Scale for assessing emigration intention of healthcare workers
Creators: Oluwaseun Abdulganiyu Badru - University of Iowa
Tunde A. Alabi - University of Lagos
Oluwafemi Atanda Adeagbo - University of Iowa
Fatai Adesina Badru - University of Lagos
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Transnational Mobilities, Vol.2, 100005
DOI: 10.1016/j.tramob.2026.100005
ISSN: 3117-5511
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd
Language: English
Date published: 06/2026
Academic Unit: Community and Behavioral Health
Record Identifier: 9985179853902771

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