Background: Life skills training is one of the ways to deal with stressful situations and risk-taking behaviors. Given the importance of life skills to deal with risk-taking behaviors such as smoking, the objective of this study was to examine the association between awareness, attitude and life skills and smoking status among boy students in Ilam, Iran.

Methods: This was a descriptive  study that was performed on 553 students in high school boy students in Ilam in 2018. Sampling was conducted in two steps: first, schools were selected by a random sampling method; second, one class was selected randomly from each school and each grade, and all of the students of the selected class were included using the census method. Data were collected through a valid and reliable three-part questionnaire, including demographic characteristics, life skills, and smoking status, and then analyzed by using descriptive and analytical tests at  SPSS₂₂ software.

Results: The mean age of students, age of smoking initiation as well as the mean of individuals Grade Point Average (GPA) was 13.58, 11.27, and 17.95, respectively. The mean score of awareness toward the harmful effects of smoking, attitude toward smoking, and normative expectations were estimated at 82.18, 32.6, and 68.04, respectively. The total score of life skills was 57.3, which was higher than average. The highest and lowest life skills score was related to problem-solving skills (56.75) and compatibility  skills (52.21). Besides, having friends and family members who smoke, attitude toward smoking as well as normative expectations were significantly associated with cigarette smoking status (P-value < 0.05).

Conclusion: Given the results of the study, the life skills score was moderate and far from the ideal status. Therefore, considering the smoking experience at an early age and focusing on life skills training is essential in elementary schools.