Household Container Characteristics Associated with Mosquito Larval Presence in a Highland Community of Tana Toraja, Indonesia

Introduction: Dengue continues to pose a major mosquito-borne public health problem in tropical countries, including Indonesia, where household water containers frequently serve as habitats for mosquito larvae. However, studies examining household container characteristics associated with mosquito larval presence in highland communities remain limited. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Bombongan Urban Village, Makale District, Tana Toraja Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The study included 100 households and 128 water-holding containers. Container type, functional container category, container condition, and mosquito larval presence were recorded through direct field observation. Associations were examined using Pearson’s chi-square test and a binary logistic generalized estimating equations (GEE) model to account for household-level clustering. Results: Of the 128 inspected water-holding containers, 89 (69.5%) were positive for mosquito larvae, and 94 (73.4%) were open. At the household level, 71 of 100 households had at least one larva-positive container, resulting in a House Index of 71.0%, a Container Index of 69.5%, and a Breteau Index of 89. Discarded containers had the highest proportion of larval positivity (91.7%), whereas animal drinking containers were the most frequently observed type. Functional container category was associated with larval presence in the bivariate analysis (p = 0.025) and remained significant as an overall variable in the GEE model (Wald χ² = 12.178, df = 3, p = 0.007), although none of the individual categories differed significantly from animal drinking containers. Open containers had substantially higher adjusted odds of larval presence than closed containers (aOR = 73.56; 95% CI: 21.74–248.87; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Open container condition was independently associated with mosquito larval presence, whereas functional container category showed a significant overall association. Discarded containers had the highest larval positivity, whereas animal drinking containers were the most frequently observed. Household mosquito-control measures may prioritize covering, emptying, cleaning, and appropriately disposing of water-holding containers.