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The objective of this study was to diagnose the levels of moderate and vigorous physical activity in 11 and 12-year-old students from a public school in Central Panama, using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C). A quantitative approach was used, with a non-experimental, cross-sectional and descriptive-comparative design. The sample consisted of 117 students selected through non-probabilistic convenience sampling. For the analysis, descriptive statistics, the Student's t-test for independent samples, the Kruskal-Wallis test and the effect size using Cohen's d-index, with a significance level of p < 0.05, were used. The results showed an average score of 3.48 ± 0.86, corresponding to a moderate level of physical activity. However, 65.0% of the participants indicated that they did not comply with the international recommendation of at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on a daily basis. Statistically significant differences were identified according to sex, with higher levels of physical activity in male students, but not according to age or sector of residence. It is concluded that, although the population presents a moderate general level of physical activity, a considerable proportion does not reach international recommendations. These findings constitute a baseline for designing pedagogical, school, and community strategies that promote active and healthy lifestyles in the Panamanian educational context.
