Middle-aged adults struggle with basic health tasks

One in three middle-aged adults struggles with basic health tasks, according to new research. The study notes that 35- to 64-year-olds have difficulty with everyday health tasks such as reading prescription labels, understanding medical forms, and recalling details from doctor visits. Health literacy is identified as critical for managing chronic conditions like hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes that commonly emerge in midlife. Study author Abigail Vogeley says many individuals were not adequately onboarded to engage with health care, making care navigation harder and potentially riskier. Senior author Dr. Michael Wolf adds that there is no universal 'user manual' for midlife health care, highlighting the need for better patient support.

The study, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, included 1,000 adults receiving care at hospitals and health centers across Chicago. Researchers assessed health literacy, health self-management, and self-reported physical function, finding that 30.5% had limited health literacy. They advocate simplifying health information using plain language and improving patient onboarding to reduce confusion and errors. The findings have broad implications for the health system, underscoring the need to adapt communication to support patients with lower literacy and to improve overall care outcomes.