Object‐Control skills and cortisol response during physical education lessons in primary school children

Background: Object-control (OC) skills are fundamental movement skills acquired during primary school that may act as either stressors or engagement factors during physical education (PE). This study examined the acute impact of OC exercises on children's stress levels across grade levels. Methods: 124 primary school children (Grades 3-5) participated in two PE lessons, one including OC exercises and one without. Salivary cortisol (C) was measured before and after each lesson. Results: Fourth-grade children showed lower C concentrations than fifth-grade students (p = 0.02). Following PE without OC, third-grade C levels decreased (p = 0.045), fourth-grade increased (p < 0.01), and fifth-grade showed no change. Following PE with OC, C decreased only in fifth-grade children (p = 0.03). Implications for school health policy and practice: Because stress-related effects of OC exercises differ by grade level, PE curricula should introduce OC tasks progressively. Conclusions: Primary school children exhibit distinct, grade-dependent neuroendocrine responses after physical activity. High cognitive loads in complex OC tasks may buffer typical cortisol reductions in younger children, whereas mature cohorts find OC activities stress-regulating. Evaluating motor skill development alongside hormonal adaptations can help optimize school health policies and stress management strategies.