This research was conducted as a descriptive study in order to determine relationship between nursing students’ perceptions of their health status and health promotion behaviors and the effect of education on their health status and health promotion behaviors. The study was conducted between March and April 2007. The sample of the study includes 361 nursing students has established School of Nursing who agreed to participate in research. The data was collected through an inquiry (22 questions) and through the Healthy Life Style Behaviour Scale and Health Perception Scale. The data were evaluated by SPSS 15.0 package programme. The average score was found to be 130.2±19.2 from the Healthy Life Style Behaviors Scale (lower scores: 65, top score: 185). The Healthy Life Style Behaviour subscale score was 35.8 ± 7.3 for self-realization, 26.2 ± 6.5 for health responsibility, 20.3 ± 3.5 for interpersonal support, 18.2 ± 3.4 for stress management, 17.2 ± 3.3 for nutrition and 12.2 ± 4.0 for physical activity. 74.2%of the students perceived their health as a “good” and 62.0%believed that to have too much control over their health in the future. Students who had higher total score of the Healthy Life Style Behaviour Scale were perceived to be a very good health status (F:20.134; p<0.001).

Keywords: Health perception, health promotion, nursing students