Researchers have said that a new study in Colombia has found that a short-term economic boom resulted in illness and mortality rates among children increasing.

When coffee prices spike, workers spend much more time tending fields and less time doing things that are good for children's health, said Researchers Grant Miller of Stanford University in California and Piedad Urdinola of the National University of Colombia.

Miller said in a statement, "The net result is that infant and child health actually becomes worse despite the fact that people are making more money. The reverse is also true, the study found. When coffee prices fall abruptly, people work less and child health improves, even though families may have less money."

The results suggest that for Colombian households, time may be more important than money when it comes to keeping kids healthy, Miller and Urdinola further said.

Miller further added, "The things that matter most for infant or child health in rural Colombia -- things like breastfeeding, bringing clean water from far away or taking a child to a distant health clinic for primary care services or vaccinations -- aren't very expensive, but they require a substantial amount of time." (With Inputs from Agencies)