Integrating self-determination theory and Islamic da'wah in health promotion among Malaysian university students

Abstract

The rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and unhealthy lifestyle behaviours among Malaysian university students presents a significant public health challenge. As young adults transition into independent living, they face increasing academic demands, changing lifestyle patterns, and extensive engagement with digital media, all of which heighten their susceptibility to physical inactivity, unhealthy dietary practices, and other modifiable health risks. Despite substantial investments in health promotion, existing interventions within higher education institutions remain largely information-driven and often fail to produce sustained behavioural change because they insufficiently address individuals' psychological, cultural, and spiritual motivations. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) provides a well-established framework for explaining health behaviour through the satisfaction of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. However, its predominantly secular orientation offers limited consideration of faith-based values that influence health decision-making in Muslim-majority contexts. This conceptual paper proposes an integrated framework that extends SDT by incorporating Islamic da'wah communication principles to promote sustainable health behaviours among Malaysian university students. Using a systematic conceptual synthesis approach, the study critically reviews relevant literature on SDT, Islamic health perspectives, and digital health communication to identify theoretical, contextual, and communication gaps. The proposed framework aligns autonomy with ikhtiyar (responsible choice), competence with amanah (physical stewardship), and relatedness with ukhuwwah (social solidarity), while positioning Islamic da'wah communication through hikmah (wisdom), mau'izah hasanah (compassionate advice), and tabayyun (information verification) as the mechanism facilitating value internalisation and intrinsic motivation. By integrating psychological and spiritual dimensions of behaviour change, the framework extends SDT within an Islamic worldview and offers a culturally responsive foundation for health promotion. The study contributes to the advancement of Islamic health communication theory and provides practical implications for university health programmes, student affairs initiatives, and faith-based digital health communication strategies aimed at fostering long-term healthy lifestyles among Malaysian university students.