Ophthalmological misconceptions among adults in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study

Ophthalmological health misconceptions represent a significant barrier to appropriate eye care-seeking behaviour. Despite increasing educational attainment and digital connectivity in Saudi Arabia, the prevalence of eye health myths among the adult population remains poorly characterised. This study assessed ophthalmological health knowledge and identified prevalent misconceptions among adults in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, and examined associations with sociodemographic factors. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among adults aged ≥ 18 years in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia (January–March 2024). A pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire assessed awareness of common eye health misconceptions. Following peer review, one item with an ambiguous clinical key was excluded, yielding a 27-item scoring instrument (25 myths, 2 facts). Awareness was classified as poor (< 40%), fair (40–59.9%), or good (≥ 60%). Chi-square tests, Benjamini–Hochberg correction, and binary logistic regression were applied, with p < 0.05 significant. Of 441 participants, 59.9% were female and 57.6% aged 18–25 years. Poor awareness was observed in 45.8%, fair in 40.8%, and good in 13.4%. The most prevalent misconceptions concerned television proximity (90.9%) and computer use (90.0%). In unadjusted analysis, younger age (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.72–0.97, p = 0.015) was associated with better awareness; in a model adjusting for age, gender, education, and ocular history, postgraduate education (OR 2.31, 95% CI 1.12–4.76, p = 0.024) was also associated with better awareness; however, age and employment were strongly collinear and age did not remain a robust independent predictor after full adjustment. After Benjamini–Hochberg correction, no individual myth differed significantly by ocular history. Widespread ophthalmological misconceptions persist among educated adults in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Younger age was associated with better awareness in unadjusted analyses but could not be disentangled from employment and was not a robust independent predictor; postgraduate education remained associated with awareness across model specifications. Personal experience of eye disease was not associated with awareness. Targeted, digitally delivered eye-health education warrants evaluation as a potential strategy for addressing these misconceptions.