We all know that balance is vital for a healthy diet, but a new study suggests balance in how you spend your time is also key to a healthy life and sense of wellbeing – for children as well as adults.

The study, by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) in Melbourne, found that even as young as 11, how kids choose to spend their time may impact on their physical and mental health and self-reported quality of life.

“People tend to think about healthy lifestyle in terms of doing more of certain things – sleep, exercise, down-time – but what we found suggests it’s more about the overall pattern and whether that’s balanced,” says Professor Melissa Wake, a senior researcher in the team who is now based at the University of Auckland.

Professor Wake, the new Cure Kids professor of child health research at the Liggins Institute and the University of Auckland Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, says it is likely that similar links between time-use and quality of life would be found in New Zealand children.

The study, published in high-ranking journal Pediatrics, surveyed over 1,400 children aged 11 and 12. Participants were asked to fill out daily diaries detailing their use of time in five-minute increments across two 24-hour periods. This covered 260 different daily activities, including time spent showering and brushing teeth. The study looked at three outcome measures - overall quality of life, psychological health and physical health.