Youth participation has been investigated in many fields of knowledge. Even though literature approaches aspects regarding psychological, educational and civic dimensions, there has not been a tendency to link them to a health perspective. The purpose of this article is to analyze how participative practices promote healthy developmental processes. The Sage, Scielo, Lilacs and Dialnet databases have been consulted, and articles published between 1999 and 2011 have been collected. The review of literary works combines participation and health promotion through the learning of skill sets that engender empowerment - which prepares youths to lead their own lives. Participation may be understood as a conscious and propositive socialization through which values are learned and democratic practices are assimilated, giving them the choice to be active in the public sphere. While a domain of self-promotion, participation enables youths to lead their own lives through the making of an existential project: the opportunity to define their personality as a strategy of self-care. It is understood then that participation adjusts formative mechanisms that propel a cognoscitive reflection, which is a mediator of the youth's autonomy and authorship.