Beliefs About the Causes of Blindness Among Community Members in Taraba State

Cultural beliefs about the causes of blindness influence whether and how community members seek professional eye care, often leading to reliance on traditional or spiritual remedies rather than medical intervention. This study investigates the beliefs about the causes of blindness among adults in rural and semi-urban communities of Taraba State, North East Nigeria. A cross-sectional qualitative and quantitative mixed-methods design will be used, engaging 360 community members through structured questionnaires and eight focused group discussions. The questionnaire will document beliefs categorized as biomedical, environmental, supernatural, or traditional, alongside sociodemographic characteristics and prior eye care experiences. Thematic analysis will be applied to qualitative data, while chi-square tests will assess associations between educational level and belief patterns. The study anticipates a high prevalence of supernatural and traditional beliefs about blindness causation, particularly in rural communities and among individuals with lower formal education. Findings will be used to develop culturally sensitive eye health communication materials and to train community health workers in Taraba State. This research contributes to the literature on health belief models in eye care in Nigeria's North East zone and provides evidence for designing community engagement strategies that bridge traditional beliefs and modern optometric practice. Keywords: blindness beliefs, community health, Taraba State, eye health, cultural practices