Background: Childhood obesity has emerged as a significant public health concern worldwide. Physical activity plays a crucial role in controlling childhood obesity. Objective: This study assessed the distribution of BMI and physical activity levels among the participants. And determined the association between body mass index and physical activity level among the school age. Methods: Four hundred and forty-two (422) participants aged 8 and 14 years participated in this cross-sectional study. Before the study began, ethical approval, permission to conduct this study, and informed consent were secured. The anthropometric data of height and weight of each participant is measured with their standard instruments. Also, the physical activity levels of the participants were determined using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C). Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Data collected was recorded and analyzed with a statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 23. The level of significance was set at P <0.05 Results: It was found that the majority of the participants were underweight (69.9% of the participants), and the majority were also moderately involved in physical activity (50% of the participants). Additionally, there was no significant association between physical activity level and the distribution of the participants’ distribution of body mass index (p = 0.599). Conclusion: The outcome of this study showed that the majority of the public-school students in the community were underweight and there was no significant association between body mass index and their physical activity levels.

Keywords: Physical activity, body mass index, school age