This study was aimed to identify the factors that influence eating behaviors in coronary artery disease patients and to create data for nursing which is thought to improve the eating behavior.

The study population was coronary artery disease patients who were treated on an outpatient basis. The measurements were eating behavior, diet self-efficacy, perceived-benefits, perceived-seriousness, family support and medical team support. All of the measurement tools above were thoroughly modified to verify validity and reliability. Statistical analysis was done by the SPSS PC 12.0 program.

The influencing factors for the eating behavior was diet self-efficacy (β=0.476), social support (β=0.253), chest pain (β=0.177), smoking (β=-0.173) and regular exercise (β=.169), which explained 46.2%.

Eating behaviors of coronary artery disease patients were influenced by diet self-efficacy, family support and the presence of chest pain. Therefore, the development of a program for efficient dietary education that prevents the progression of coronary artery disease is needed.