Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the impact that health motivation, stage of change and cardiac risk factors have on health behaviors in Korean patients with coronary artery disease(CAD) admitted to hospital. Method: The participants in this study were 127 patients with CAD hospitalized between May 2008 and July 2009. A structured questionnaire with personal interviews and chart reviews were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using the SPSS. Results: Of the relatively significant factors, including a stage of change, self efficacy, modifiable risk factor score, and perceived barriers, stage of change was found to be the most significant predictor of health behavior in patients with CAD. These variables accounted for 48.2% of the variance in health behavior. Conclusion: The results of the study indicate the necessity of developing a cardiac rehabilitation program for use in their daily lives after discharge from the hospital. Stage of change should be assessed for all patients with CAD being discharged from acute care hospitals.