Child health may suffer in strong economy

STANFORD, Calif., March 25 (UPI) -- A study in Colombia found a short-term economic boom resulted in illness and mortality rates among children increasing, researchers said.

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

"The net result is that infant and child health actually becomes worse despite the fact that people are making more money," Miller said in a statement.

"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."

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

"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," Miller said.

The findings are published in the Journal of Political Economy.