Purpose : The principal objective of this study was to develop adequate health promotion programs satisfying the needs of high school students by exploring a variety of factors that affected their participation in these programs. This research was also designed to serve as preliminary data for the development of health promotion programs that will encourage active student participation. Methods : The study used a descriptive correlational design. The study participants were 658 coeducational high school students in Seoul, consisting of 317 9th graders and 341 10th graders. For this study, 599 structured questionnaires were selected. The survey was conducted for the period from December 12, 2005 to December 23, 2005. Results : Overall, students surveyed in this research showed relatively active participation in health-promoting behaviors. Among 5 dimensions, interpersonal support received the highest score while health responsibility ranked the lowest. Another finding was that posture correction program enjoyed the strongest student participation (75.5%) followed by stress management program(70.1%) and weight control program (56.6%). On the other hand, the participation rates for no-drinking(12.9%), smoking cessation program(17.0%), and influenza prevention program(22.9%) were at the low end. Multiple logistic regression results indicate that the higher interpersonal support score of health promoting behaviors gets, the higher student participation becomes. Conclusion : The study demonstrated that student participation was determined by the nature of health-promoting programs, demographic characteristics and health related physical fitness. It also showed that the sub-scales of the programs played a bigger role in student participation. Keeping this in mind, a wealth of health-enhancing programs of distinguishing qualities need to be tailored to meet various needs of students. In addition, serious efforts should be made to motivate them to seek relevant health promotion programs.