Abstract: Objective:To explore the effects of the health education based on protection motivation theory on the compliance of rehabilitation exercise in lung cancer patients after discharge.Methods:One hundred and twenty-four lung cancer patients were divided into the observation group(n=62) and control group(n=62).The control group was nursed with routine care,and the observation group was nursed with protect intervention model from discharge to after 6 months of discharge.The compliance of rehabilitation exercise,disease awareness,lung function and quality of life between two groups after discharge were compared.Results:The compliance of rehabilitation exercise and disease awareness rate in observation group were higher than those in control group(P<0.05).After intervention,the expiratory volume in the first second and peak expiratory flow rate in observation group were significantly higher than those in control group(P<0.01),and the scores of the overall health,psychological function,physical function,social function,mental health and emotional function were significantly higher than those in control group(P<0.01).Conclusions:The health education based on protection motivation theory can improve the disease awareness,compliance of rehabilitation exercise,lung function and quality of life in lung cancer patient after discharge.