Musculoskeletal symptomatology in skeletally immature students carrying heavy backpacks: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Young students with skeletal immaturity report an increasing number of musculoskeletal symptoms associated with daily use of heavy backpacks. This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between heavy backpack use and reports of pain.

Methods: Data were collected from 300 students aged 11 to 18 at the University of Toronto Schools.

Base rates of non-credible performance in a post-secondary student sample seeking accessibility accommodations.

Performance Validity Tests (PVTs) have been used to identify non-credible performance in clinical, medicolegal, forensic, and, more recently, academic settings. The inclusion of PVTs when administering psychoeducational assessments is essential given that specific accommodation such as flexible deadlines and increased writing time can provide an external incentive for students without disabilities to feign symptoms. The present study used archival data to establish base rates of non-credible performance in a sample of post-secondary students (n = 1045) who underwent a comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation for the purposes of obtaining academic accommodations.