Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42760851›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of school health2026

Object-Control Skills and Cortisol Response During Physical Education Lessons in Primary School Children.

Fioretta Silvestri, Davide Curzi, Giovanna Zimatore, Valerio Bonavolontà, Emiliane Rubat du Mérac, Silvia Migliaccio, Carlo Baldari, Laura Guidetti, Maria Chiara Gallotta

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In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of school health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Fioretta SilvestriDepartment of Economic, Psychological, Communication, Education and Movement Science, University Niccolò Cusano, Rome, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1997-7028
Davide CurziDepartment of Economic, Psychological, Communication, Education and Movement Science, University Niccolò Cusano, Rome, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2363-0956
Giovanna ZimatoreDepartment of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, eCampus University, Novedrate, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6009-4465
Valerio BonavolontàDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2955-0498
Emiliane Rubat du MéracDepartment of Psychology of Development and Socialization Processes, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0575-7021
Silvia MigliaccioDepartment of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4563-6630
Carlo BaldariDepartment of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, eCampus University, Novedrate, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6227-3571
Laura GuidettiDepartment of Economic, Psychological, Communication, Education and Movement Science, University Niccolò Cusano, Rome, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1419-4550
Maria Chiara GallottaDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology "Vittorio Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5532-6380

Funding

Sapienza Università di Roma RD1241910337879A
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundObject-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.

methods124 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.

resultsFourth-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.

conclusionsPrimary 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.

Indexed as

ExerciseHydrocortisoneMotor SkillsPhysical Education and TrainingStress, PsychologicalChildFemaleHumansMaleSalivaSchoolsStudentsHydrocortisonefundamental motor skillsmotor coordinationphysical educationpsychomotor performancestress response

Identifiers

PMID42760851
PMCPMC13589216

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.