Dengue knowledge, policies, and Aedes Larval population in selected low and high dengue priority areas in Miagao, Iloilo

Abstract

This cross-sectional study aimed to compare the knowledge, practices, and Aedes larval populations between low and high dengue priority areas of Miagao, Iloilo. Questionnaire-guided interviews were conducted to assess the knowledge and practices of the study population. Larval surveys were done to determine Aedes larval populations, expressed as House Index (HI), Container Index (CI), and Breteau Index (BI). Results showed that respondents from the low priority area were more knowledgeable on dengue than the respondents from the high priority area (p<0.05). Dengue preventive practices were found to be the same for both low and high priority areas. There was, however, no significant relationship between dengue knowledge and dengue preventive measures (p<0.05). Results from (he larval survey revealed that both low and high priority areas have HI and BI above the WHO standards (HI<5%; BI<20) and are considered “high risk” areas. Lastly, age (p<0.01) and educational attainment (p<0.05) were found to affect an individual’s dengue knowledge.