Factors associated with young children's long-term recall of an invasive medical procedure: a preliminary investigation.

This exploratory study investigated children's recall of the voiding cysto-urethrogram (VCUG, x-ray of the kidneys) after a 6-month delay and the associations between children's memory reports and specific behaviors coded during the procedure (distraction, crying, procedure-related talk). Thirty-two children, aged 2 to 7 years, were interviewed 6 months after undergoing the VCUG. Twenty-nine of the 32 children reported information about the VCUG after 6 months. Free recall was skeletal but highly accurate; more information was reported in prompted recall, but accuracy was reduced. Older children provided more complete and accurate reports than did younger children. Independently of age, specific child behaviors were associated with children's memory reports: crying during the VCUG was negatively associated with the correct information reported and accuracy in prompted recall; procedure-related talk was positively associated with the correct information reported in free recall; and distraction was negatively associated with the accuracy of free recall. The implications for intervention in pediatric contexts are discussed.