[A study on health perception and health promoting behavior in chronic back pain patients]

The purpose of this study was to show a relationship between health perception and health promoting behaviors in chronic low back pain patients.

The subjects for this study were 213 persons who the visited hospital with low back pain-related problems.

The higher the level of the health perception in chronic back pain patients was the higher the rate of the practice of health promoting behaviors (r=0.393, p<.001). The health perception T score was 50.00+/-10.00. As for health promoting behaviors, the T score was 49.99+/-10.00. The subscale of the highest mean score was interpersonal support (2.96+/-0.64) and the subscale of the lowest mean score was exercise (2.13+/-0.99).

This study showed that chronic low back pain patients had a lower level of perception of their health, and their practice to improve their health was not enough. Therefore, nurses should educate and encourage chronic low back pain patients in proper exercises and correct posture to strengthen and maintain lumbar extension muscle power.