Characteristics Associated with Smoking Among Patrons of Three Philadelphia Parks

To create healthy public spaces, Philadelphia prohibits smoking in city-owned and operated parks. Identifying the prevalence and characteristics of smoking in Philadelphia Parks would be useful for monitoring purposes; yet no studies have collected this data. This study identified the prevalence and characteristics of smoking among adult patrons entering three Philadelphia Parks (Washington Square Park, Independence Square Park, and Louis Kahn Park). During May and June 2016, we observed patrons entering the parks on Thursday afternoons. We used handheld electronic devices to categorize patrons by smoking status, age, gender, and tobacco product. We used logistic regression to assess the association of these variables with smoking. We observed 4822 people, of which 10.6% were children. Smoking was noted among 2.6% of adults in Washington Square Park, 2.6% of adults in Independence Square Park, and 7.7% of adults in Louis Kahn Park. Patronizing Louis Kahn Park was associated with greater likelihood of smoking (OR 3.11, CI 1.77-5.46) compared to Washington Square. Males were more likely than females to smoke (OR 1.45, CI 1.01-2.09). Higher likelihood of smoking among males concurs with previous studies. Higher prevalence in Louis Kahn Park may be due to differences in park patron demographics compared to other parks. Results could be used as a baseline for periodic monitoring of smoking in parks in order to inform implementation of the smoke-free park policy in Philadelphia.