About the Author

Author Picture

Adriana Rodriguez

Adriana Gabriela Rodriguez is an intern at SaludAmerica! who is currently working on obtaining her bachelor's degree in communication with a concentration on health communication and a minor in Spanish at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Adriana is from Harlingen, Texas, and she loves visiting her family in Puerto Rico, singing, cooking, and eating.

Articles by Adriana Rodriguez

Research: Parents Are Buying More Fast Food for Their Kids



Latino and all parents are purchasing fast food for their children more frequently in recent years, while 75% of kids meals still come with an unhealthy drink or side, according to a recent study by the UCONN Rudd Center for Food and Obesity. Fast-food consumption is linked to poor diet quality in youth. The new study examined parents’ reported fast-food purchases for their children ages 2-11 and changes over time, in light of several fast-food restaurants recently adopting policies to offer healthier drinks and/or sides with their kids’ meals. Parents were surveyed in 2010, 2013, and 2016 about fast-food purchases at McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, or Subway. The 2016 survey also covered KFC, Dairy Queen, and Panera Bread. The findings are unsettling. Findings: ...

Read More

Physical Activity Grades Are Bad, But Rising, for U.S. Children and Youth


Physical acticity grades for U.S. children

The United States earned a D- in overall physical activity, with only about 24% of kids ages 6-17 getting the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity every day and racial/ethnic disparities persisting, according to the new 2018 U.S. Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth. The 2018 Report Card is from the National Physical Activity Plan. It grades how well U.S. is doing these categories: overall physical activity, sedentary behaviors, active transportation, organized sport participation, active play, health-related fitness, family and peers, schools, and community and the built environment. The grades for each category, while poor, have improved some since 2016. Grades improved for sedentary behavior, active transportation, organized sports, and physical ...

Read More