In Missouri, the average person born in 2021 could expect to live to be 74.6 years old, a whole three years younger than the average age 10 years ago. The state’s drop is part of a nationwide decline, though the life expectancy in Missouri is lower than the United States average.

Dr. Dalen Duitsman, director of the Ozarks Public Health Institute at Missouri State University, offers a reason why to St. Louis Public Radio.