Shoplifting is one of the most frequent crimes in the United States, yet there is no agreement about effective prevention procedures. Since most prevention strategies are aimed at either increasing public awareness of the severity of the consequences or increasing the threat of detection, procedures that contain these elements were evaluated. Posting signs around a department of a department store pointing out that shoplifting is a crime, etc., partially reduced shoplifting rates. When merchandise that was frequently taken was identified by signs and stars, shoplifting decreased to near zero. Publicity campaigns to inform the public of consequences for shoplifting may produce desirable results, but identifying likely shoplifting targets, which may increase the likelihood of detection, effectively reduces shoplifting rates.

Although the MDS appears to identify incontinent NH residents accurately, its clinical utility may be limited by disagreements between actual wet check data and MDS categorical severity rankings for residents known to be incontinent. The wide variability between direct observational measures of wetness and the MDS scores denoting incontinence severity we observed may limit the potential usefulness of the MDS for detecting changes in incontinence severity. It is possible that more information and instructions are needed for staff completing the MDS if the goal is to discriminate between different levels of incontinence severity and measure changes over time in response to therapeutic interventions.

The effects of a carefully monitored and increased police patrol on the report of crime were examined in four patrol zones. Overall patrol movement was increased to four times normal levels and slow patrol movement (under 20 mph) to around 30 times normal levels for 10 days. The patrol was active in two zones between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. and in the other two zones between 7:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. A multiple‐baseline design and time‐series statistical analyses showed statistically reliable changes in reported levels of Part I crime (such as robbery, burglary, and aggravated assault) during both night patrols, but not in the day patrols. In both night‐patrol zones, there were also reliable increases from saturation patrol to postsaturation patrol in report of Part I crime after the night patrol was terminated. Neither of the day patrols showed significant crime report changes on termination. Despite statistically reliable decreases in report of crime during nighttime hours, the value of saturation patrolling as a crime‐prevention technique was questioned on cost/benefit grounds.

Difficulties inherent in teaching teachers new methods of dealing with classroom behavior problems have focused research on alternate methods of intervention for outside consultants. Methods are needed that require minimal changes in the teacher's established procedures and brief durations of consultation with the teacher and children. In the present study, the use of daily report cards is evaluated as a cost-efficient method of classroom intervention. Marked changes in the classroom behavior of two classes of disruptive kindergarten children were produced when teachers sent daily report cards home to parents. No special training or assistance was given to either parents or teachers.

Aims To describe the retention of rural women in the Rural Breast Cancer Survivors (RBCS) Intervention. Background Few studies describe strategies and procedures for retention of participants enrolled in cancer research. Fewer studies focus on underserved rural cancer survivors. Methods A descriptive design was used. A conceptual model of retention based on three factors: researcher, participant, and context with primary, secondary, and tertiary strategies was used to unify the data. Results 432 women enrolled in the RBCS study, of which 332 (77%) were retained and completed the 12 month study. Favorable retention strategies included: run-in period, persistent attempts to re-contact hard to reach, recruitment and enrollment tracking database, and a trusting and supportive relationship with the research nurse. Conclusion A conceptual model of retention with differential strategies can maintain participant retention in a longitudinal research study.

Background Investigators addressing nursing research are faced increasingly with the need to analyze data that involve variables of mixed types and are characterized by complex nonlinearity and interactions. Tree-based methods, also called recursive partitioning, are gaining popularity in various fields. In addition to efficiency and flexibility in handling multifaceted data, tree-based methods offer ease of interpretation. Objectives To introduce tree-based methods, discuss their advantages and pitfalls in application, and describe their potential use in nursing research. Method In this paper, (a) an introduction to tree-structured methods is presented, (b) the technique is illustrated via quality of life (QOL) data collected in the Breast Cancer Education Intervention (BCEI) study, and (c) implications for their potential use in nursing research are discussed. Discussion As illustrated by the QOL analysis example, tree methods generate interesting and easily understood findings that cannot be uncovered via traditional linear regression analysis. The expanding breadth and complexity of nursing research may entail the use of new tools to improve efficiency and gain new insights. In certain situations, tree-based methods offer an attractive approach that help address such needs.

The significance of a helicopter patrol procedure directed toward prevention of home burglaries was evaluated from experimental and cost-benefit perspectives. The helicopter patrolled one city zone from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for two 12-day periods. Each 12-day period was separated by a baseline period in which only normal patrol-car levels were maintained. Significantly reduced burglary levels during the intervention periods, compared to baseline periods, documented the experimental significance of the helicopter procedure. The cash costs of implementing the patrol procedure were compared to two estimates of the resulting cash benefits. This latter cost-benefit analysis was supplemented by a discussion of the intangible costs and benefits of the helicopter procedure. Taken together, these analyses documented that the marginal costs of the helicopter intervention were exceeded by all estimates of benefits.

Newspapers play a critical role in the dissemination of information to the public. Systematic attempts to evaluate the newspaper as a viable method of changing community behavior are sparse in the literature. A multiple baseline design was used to evaluate the effects of daily newspaper prompting and graphical feedback on the amount of litter in yards along streets of a small city. Daily measures of ground litter were taken in three areas: two residential and commercial and the other near a city school. An initial article calling for an antilitter campaign and daily information concerning the amount of litter present was published in the local newspaper. When the prompting and feedback procedure was published, the amount of litter decreased from 21% to 48%. It seems that appropriate newspaper publicity can be used effectively to control litter. One-month follow-up measures indicated that the effect was temporary. Consistent newspaper feedback may be necessary to maintain behavior change.