Cities In Eastern China Research Articles

Air Pollutant Emission Inventory of Non-road Machineries in Typical Cities in Eastern China

Based on site investigation of non-road vehicles in Shanghai and Hangzhou located in east China, non-road vehicle emission inventory in 2014 was established in these cities as well as its emission inventory technology. Characteristics of non-road vehicle were also analyzed, including classification, type of fuel, power and emission standard. The results showed that diesel consumed by non-road vehicles was 6.1×105 t in Shanghai and 3.2×105 t in Hangzhou; NOx emission was 3.09×104 t in Shanghai and 1.72×104 t in Hangzhou; PM2.5 emission was 1.41×103 t in Shanghai and 8.1×102 t in Hangzhou, 2014. Emissions from excavators and other construction equipment contributed the most in non-road vehicle emission inventory. Non-road vehicle has become one of the important sources of urban air pollution, whose NOx emissions accounted for 11.1% of all urban sources in Shanghai and 16.1% in Hangzhou, and accounted for 18.5% of mobile sources in Shanghai and 32.2% in Hangzhou.

Can zero-markup policy for drug sales in public hospitals resolve the problem of ‘seeing a doctor is too expensive’ in China? A case study of four municipal general tertiary hospitals at H City in Z Province

The Chinese government launched its New Health System Reform in 2009 aimed at achieving the target of universal health coverage and resolving the long-standing problem of ‘seeing a doctor is too difficult and expensive.’ The Chinese government attributed the origin of this problem to the 15%-markup policy for drug sales in public hospitals from the mid-1990s and began the zero-markup reform as its main solution in 2013. Through a case study of four municipal general tertiary hospitals in H City in eastern China, we found that the zero-markup policy reduced the cost of patients’ drug spending and the income of hospitals’ drug sales, but did not reduce the average expense and out-of-pocket spending of patients. On the contrary, the average expense for medical inspection and examination is rising rapidly every year. Against the background of zero-markup reform for drug sales, public hospitals have gradually shifted from ‘feeding the hospital with drug sales’ to ‘feeding the hospital with medical inspection and examination’ by adding unnecessary services or overtreatments, having to find new ways to meet their costs. Some of this may represent supply-induced demand for services, replacing the supply-induced demand for drugs, which the former markup policy encouraged. We have also found that although the government adjusted the price of medical services to a degree when introducing the zero-markup reform of drug sales, the deficit in medical service funding has risen sharply in the public hospitals. This indicates that the medical service is priced significantly lower than actual costs of the service and that the related social insurance support is also inadequate, therefore continuing high levels of out-of-pocket costs are inevitable. To resolve the problem altogether, the Chinese government must promote a market-oriented reform of pricing mechanism of medical services and adjust the social insurance support accordingly. The key to New Health System Reform is to build a public negotiation mechanism between the government, social health insurance, representatives of hospitals/doctors, and citizens for medical service purchasing to determine the commonly accepted price of quality medical services and the amount patients should contribute themselves, through negotiation and compromise.

Characteristics of volatile compound emission and odor pollution from municipal solid waste treating/disposal facilities of a city in Eastern China.

Transfer station, incineration plant, and landfill site made up the major parts of municipal solid waste disposal system of S city in Eastern China. Characteristics of volatile compounds (VCs) and odor pollution of each facility were investigated from a systematic perspective. Also major index related to odor pollution, i.e., species and concentration of VCs, olfactory odor concentration, and theoretic odor concentration, was quantified. Oxygenated compounds and hydrocarbons were the most abundant VCs in the three facilities. Different chemical species were quantified, and the following average concentrations were obtained: transfer station, 54 VCs, 2472.47μg/m3; incineration plant, 75 VCs, 33,129.25μg/m3; and landfill site, 71 VCs, 1694.33μg/m3. Furthermore, the average olfactory odor concentrations were 20,388.80; 50,677.50; and 4951.17, respectively. The highest odor nuisance was detected in the waste tipping port of the incineration plant. A positive correlation between the olfactory and chemical odor concentrations was found with R 2=0.918 (n=15, P<0.01). The result shows odor pollution risk transfer from landfill to incineration plant when adopting thermal technology to deal with the non-source-separated waste. Strong attention thus needs to be paid on the enclosed systems in incineration plant to avoid any accidental odor emission.

Assessing the Risk of Hg Exposure Associated with Rice Consumption in a Typical City (Suzhou) in Eastern China.

Recent studies have revealed that not only fish but also rice consumption may significantly contribute to human exposure to mercury (Hg) in Asian countries. It is therefore essential to assess dietary exposure to Hg in rice and its associated health risk. However, risk assessments of Hg in rice in non-contaminated areas are generally lacking in Asian countries. In the present study, Hg concentrations were measured in rice samples collected from markets and supermarkets in Suzhou, a typical city in Eastern China. In addition, the rice ingestion rates (IR) were assessed via a questionnaire-based survey of Suzhou residents. The data were then used to assess the risk of Hg exposure associated with rice consumption, by calculating the hazard quotient (HQ). Hg contents in rice samples were well below the national standard (20 μg/kg), ranging from 1.46 to 8.48 ng/g. They were also significantly (p > 0.05) independent of the area of production and place of purchase (markets vs. supermarkets in the different districts). Our results indicate a low risk of Hg exposure from rice in Suzhou (HQ: 0.005–0.05), despite the generally high personal IR (0.05–0.4 kg/day). The risk of Hg associated with rice consumption for Suzhou residents was not significantly affected by the age or sex of the consumer (p > 0.05). Overall, our results provide a study of human exposure to Hg in rice in Chinese cities not known to be contaminated with Hg. Future studies should examine Hg exposure in different areas in China and in potentially vulnerable major food types.

Factors associated with and prevalence of depressive features amongst older adults in an urban city in eastern China.

BackgroundMental health problems have become serious for older Chinese adults who have lived through the process of urbanisation. This current research aimed to determine the prevalence of and associated factors for depressive features in a community-based sample of older adults in China.MethodsA community-based survey of 4077 adults aged 60 or older was conducted in Suzhou, China. Information including demographic characteristics, health behaviours, social support, disease histories and physical function was collected using a pre-designed questionnaire. Depressive features were assessed using the self-rating depression scale. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify associated factors for depression.ResultsThe overall prevalence of depressive features in the surveyed population was 47.4% (45.9% in men and 48.5% in women). In a multiple logistic regression analysis, the significant variables of depressive features were no fixed occupation (odds ratio [OR] = 0.28; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.21–0.37), doing non-technical and service work (OR = 0.23; 95% CI: 0.19–0.28) or being a manager and technical personnel (OR = 0.25; 95% CI: 0.19–0.32), physical activities (OR = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.61–0.82), never taking dietary supplements (OR = 0.73; 95% CI: 0.58–0.91), not having hobbies (OR = 1.34; 95% CI: 1.15–1.56), never interacting with neighbours (OR = 1.79; 95% CI: 1.28–2.50), cold relationship with a spouse (OR = 3.34; 95% CI: 1.18–9.45) and limited activities of daily living (OR = 2.27; 95% CI: 1.91–2.69).ConclusionThere is an urgent need for public policy interventions to address depression in elderly people located in Suzhou in China.

Widespread and persistent ozone pollution in eastern China during the non-winter season of 2015: observations and source attributions

Abstract. Rapid growth of industrialization, transportation, and urbanization has caused increasing emissions of ozone (O3) precursors recently, enhancing the O3 formation in eastern China. We show here that eastern China has experienced widespread and persistent O3 pollution from April to September 2015 based on the O3 observations in 223 cities. The observed maximum 1 h O3 concentrations exceed 200 µg m−3 in almost all the cities, 400 µg m−3 in more than 25 % of the cities, and even 800 µg m−3 in six cities in eastern China. The average daily maximum 1 h O3 concentrations are more than 160 µg m−3 in 45 % of the cities, and the 1 h O3 concentrations of 200 µg m−3 have been exceeded on over 10 % of days from April to September in 129 cities. Analyses of pollutant observations from 2013 to 2015 have shown that the concentrations of CO, SO2, NO2, and PM2.5 from April to September in eastern China have considerably decreased, but the O3 concentrations have increased by 9.9 %. A widespread and severe O3 pollution episode from 22 to 28 May 2015 in eastern China has been simulated using the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled to chemistry (WRF-CHEM) to evaluate the O3 contribution of biogenic and various anthropogenic sources. The model generally performs reasonably well in simulating the temporal variations and spatial distributions of near-surface O3 concentrations. Using the factor separation approach, sensitivity studies have indicated that the industry source plays the most important role in the O3 formation and constitutes the culprit of the severe O3 pollution in eastern China. The transportation source contributes considerably to the O3 formation, and the O3 contribution of the residential source is not significant generally. The biogenic source provides a background O3 source, and also plays an important role in the south of eastern China. Further model studies are needed to comprehensively investigate O3 formation for supporting the design and implementation of O3 control strategies, considering rapid changes of emission inventories and photolysis caused by the Atmospheric Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan released by the Chinese State Council in 2013.

Contamination and health risks of heavy metals in street dust from a coal-mining city in eastern China

We collected street dust from Huainan, a typical coal-mining city in China, to investigate the contamination features and health risks of heavy metals. Concentrations of Co, Cr, Cu, Pb, As, and Sb were generally low to moderate, while pollution levels of Cd and Hg were moderate to high. Concentrations of Cd and Hg were associated with considerable health risks at 64.3% and 58.6% of sites, respectively. In particular, about a fifth of samples had associated high risks as a result of Hg contamination levels. Relative to other urban areas, the street dust from the mining area had no more severe metal pollution, which might be partly attributed to the deposition of coal dust onto street dusts. A source assessment indicated that metals in dust form Huainan were mainly derived from vehicular-related activities, industrial emissions, weathering of coal dust and natural soils, and coal combustion. Although the health risk levels from exposure to individual metals in dusts were low, the non-carcinogenic risks from multiple metals to local children exceeded the acceptable level (1.0), suggesting that the overall risk from exposure to multiple metals in dust is concerning.

Sources and chronology of combustion-derived pollution to Shilianghe Reservoir, eastern China: Evidences from PAHs profiles, As, Hg, Pb and Pb isotopes

The sedimentary records of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), lead (Pb) and stable Pb isotopic ratios were studied in a sediment core collected from Shilianghe Reservoir in eastern China. Accumulations and distributions of these pollutants were measured in terms of PAHs concentrations, PAHs fluxes, and enrichment factor (EF) of Hg, As, Pb and Pb isotopic ratios. The accumulations showed a synchronous trend throughout the core, due to close correlation with rapid economic and industrial development of the catchment, Linyi City in eastern China. The results from PAH isomer ratios reveal that PAHs in sediments are dominantly from anthropogenic pyrogenic sources, mainly from the combustion of coal and biomass. Furthermore, the Pb isotopic composition clearly indicates that coal combustion dust mainly contributed to the Pb burden in the reservoir sediments. Based on mixing end-member model of Pb isotopic ratios, contributions of coal combustion dust are ranged from 31% to 62%, mainly from anthropogenic Pb sources. The contribution of leaded gasoline was lower than average at 25%. In addition, a steady increase in the contribution from coal combustion sources was found in the sediment core, while the contribution of leaded gasoline showed a decline in recent decades, due to the phase-out of leaded gasoline in China. Capsule abstractPAHs, Hg, As and Pb burden in a reservoir of China were chronicled. Increasing coal combustion dust is responsible for contamination of lake by end-member model of Pb isotopic ratios.

Multi-agent based simulation for household solid waste recycling behavior

The urban household solid waste (HSW) classification and recycling system is a complex adaptive system (CAS), containing multiple agents and the behaviors between them are interactive. In order to figure out which is the most effective waste management policy for the HSW classification and recycling, this study tried to establish a simulation model combining multi-agent based simulation (MABS) techniques with a social survey questionnaire. The model can simulate the behavior change of the agents in the system under different policy scenarios. Then the proposed model is utilized in Suzhou city in eastern China. The system contains three main agents: (1) the resident agents that generate the HSW, (2) the recycling site and scavenger agents that collect the recyclable materials (paper, metal, plastics and etc.) in the household garbage, (3) the agents in the sanitation department (incineration power plants and landfills) that is responsible for the municipal solid waste collection and terminal garbage disposal. In addition, three waste charge policy scenarios are set and relevant simulation experiments are carried out. The results show that the specific charge policy can improve the performance of residents’ separation behavior, which is a more effective way to reduce the HSW and increase the collection rate of domestic recyclable resources (DRR). And there exists certain benefit conflicts between the environmental sanitation agent and the DRR recycling agent at the present stage in Suzhou city. To resolve the issue of the urban HSW management in China, it is necessary to balance the profit of charge point of agents in the system. In addition, it needs to combine the municipal garbage collection network and the renewable resource recycling network together.

The factor structure of the 12-item general health questionnaire (GHQ-12) in young Chinese civil servants.

BackgroundThe 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) is a commonly used screening instrument for measuring mental disorders. However, few studies have measured the mental health of Chinese professionals or explored the factor structure of the GHQ-12 through investigations of young Chinese civil servants.MethodThis study analyses the factor structure of the GHQ-12 on young Chinese civil servants. Respondents include 1051 participants from six cities in eastern China. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) is used to identify the potential factor structure of the GHQ-12. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) models of previous studies are referred to for model fitting.ResultsThe results indicate the GHQ-12 has very good reliability and validity. All ten CFA models are well fitted with the actual data.ConclusionAll the ten models are feasible and fit the data equally well. The Chinese version of the GHQ-12 is suitable for professional groups and can serve as a screening tool to detect anxiety and psychiatric disorders.

The spillover effect of attractions

Destinations formulate their tourism development strategies based on a number of factors, including tourism spillover effects. Using data from 98 administrative cities in Eastern China from 2004 to 2012 and spatial modelling techniques, this study examines the spillover effect of attractions, including natural, cultural and man-made attractions. The spillover effect refers to the impact attractions in the regions surrounding a specific destination have on tourist arrivals at that destination. The results show that, although the spatial substitution effect exists among the same type of attractions in adjacent regions, the size of this effect is too low to counteract the positive spillover effect of attractions. This study advances research on spillover phenomena in the tourism field and supports the strategy of interregional tourism collaboration centred on attractions.

Motivating sustainable consumption among Chinese adolescents: An empirical examination

Sustainable consumption (SC) is key for sustainable development, but only limited studies have examined how to motivate SC among consumers in developing countries. Younger consumers tend to more sustainable consumption while whether they really understand the SC concept is not clear. To explore the role of SC understanding for motivating SC behaviors, this paper develops a concept model with hypotheses to propose that SC understanding mediates relationships between influencing factors and SC behaviors. Based on 623 usable questionnaires collected from junior high schools and senior high schools in three eastern cities of China, five influencing factors for SC behaviors are identified, they are, education, awareness & attitude, social influence, effectiveness of energy saving and emission reduction for sustainable products, and differentiation of sustainable products from regular products. Statistic results through hierarchical regression analysis demonstrate that SC understanding is necessary to motivate SC behaviors with certain influencing factors. Chinese adolescents can understand the SC concept through education and then purchase sustainable products. Only if sustainable products can show benefits of energy saving and emission reduction, Chinese adolescent would like to use these products. Environmental awareness and attitude can bring environmental treatment and disposal of products, but SC understanding is necessary. This paper contributes to extend the TPB to develop a conceptual model including education as one influencing factor for SC behaviors. It also develops three factors for SC behaviors from the product life cycle perspective. Besides, it also contributes to extend the previous studies about motivation of SC consumption to adolescents in an emergent economy of China to examine the role of SC understanding. Statistic results reveal the low implementation level of SC behaviors, and the government should highlight sustainable education to improve sustainable awareness and SC understanding. It is also shown that adolescents would like to purchase sustainable products if environmental performance of such products can be demonstrated, which also provide insights for enterprises to achieve win-win opportunities.

Association of PM2.5 pollution with the pattern of human activity: A case study of a developed city in eastern China

ABSTRACTRecently, air pollution has attracted a substantial amount of attention in China, which can be influenced by a variety of factors, but the association between air pollution and human activity is not quite clear. Based on real-time online data (January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2014) of air pollution and meteorology reported by official sites, and demographic, economic, and environmental reform data in a statistical yearbook, the influences of meteorological factors (temperature, relative humidity, precipitation intensity, and wind force) and human activities on PM2.5 pollution were explored. After correlation analysis, logistic regression analysis, and a nonparametric test, weak negative correlations between temperature and PM2.5 pollution were found. In most cases, festival and morning peak hours were protection and risk factors of PM2.5 pollution, respectively. In addition, government actions, such as an afforestation project and increasing financial expenditure for energy saving and environmental protection, could greatly contribute to alleviating pollution of PM2.5. The findings could help officials formulate effective laws and regulations, and then PM2.5 pollution related to the pattern of human activity would be ameliorated.Implications: Most of the time, festival and morning peak hours are protection and risk factors for PM2.5 pollution, respectively. Increasing the percentage of afforestation area and financial expenditure for energy saving and environmental protection could significantly reduce PM2.5 pollution. The findings can help officials formulate effective laws and regulations, and then PM2.5 pollution related to the pattern of human activity, especially government action, will be ameliorated.

Abundance and distribution of immature mosquitoes in urban rivers proximate to their larval habitats

Whether ecological restoration of polluted urban rivers would provide suitable breeding habitats for some mosquitoes was not clear yet. It was therefore important to determine how altered river conditions influence mosquito ecology. Monthly data on water quality and larval density were obtained to determine the effects of river systems on the distribution and abundance of immature mosquitoes in two coastal cities in Eastern China. In total, 5 species within two genera of mosquitoes were collected and identified in habitat with vegetation from three positive rivers. Culex pipiens pallens was the most abundant and widely distributed species. A new species (Culex fuscanus) was reported in certain districts. Physico-chemical parameters of river water were important, but not the only, set of influences on immature mosquito breeding. Aquatic vegetation could increase the likelihood of mosquito breeding while artificial aeration might prevent the approach of mosquitoes. Slow-moving water might be a new potential marginal habitat type for some Culex and Aedes albopictus. Variation of river system with ecological restoration might influence the abundance and distribution of immature mosquitoes.

Factor structure and psychometric properties of Chinese version of Beck Anxiety Inventory in Chinese doctors.

This study analyses the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Chinese version of Beck Anxiety Inventory on Chinese doctors. Participants include 762 doctors sampled in 18 public hospitals in three cities in Eastern China. Exploratory factor analysis is employed to identify the potential factor structure of the inventory. Confirmatory factor analysis is referred to for model fit. The results indicate that the Chinese version of Beck Anxiety Inventory has satisfactory reliability and validity, but its factor structure is unstable and has great differences compared with international versions. Naming the four extracted factors is difficult. In general, the Chinese version of Beck Anxiety Inventory is appropriate for Chinese doctors and can be used as a good screener to detect the anxiety of Chinese doctors.

Land use dynamics and policy implications in Central China: A case study of Zhengzhou

The decisions of the central Chinese government have been a key driver of the urbanization process in large cities in eastern China, however their influence on the later-urbanizing cities in central China is unclear. The objective of this study was to use remote sensing data and spatial metrics to identify the relative influence of planning policies at various levels (relative to socioeconomic influences) on trends in landscape patterns in the rapid urbanization process of Zhengzhou, the capital city of Henan Province and the core city of central China. Our results revealed that Zhengzhou's rapid urbanization process started about a decade after the eastern coastal cities due to the national development strategy (the Preferential Regional Development Strategy in 1980s and the Hinterland City Opening Policy in 1992), but boomed after 2000 due to increasing national support along with an increased number of planning policies at multiple levels. After 2004, the city experienced a critical landscape transition from a primarily agricultural to an urban-dominated landscape (which has not yet occurred over the whole region). Planning for an inter-city railway network and construction between cities increased the connectivity of urban space, but fragmented other land use types. Urban and green space expanded primarily into agricultural areas, reducing them in extent, simplifying their boundaries, and increasing their fragmentation; these changes likely reduce food production capacity. Trends in construction sites illustrate the exhaustion of land resources in Zhengzhou city and forecast a new round of urban growth in the adjacent cities (Xinzheng, Zhongmou and Xingyang). High-level policy intervention and scientific planning will be very important to urban-rural sustainable development for the region.

Effects of Meteorological Parameters and PM10 on the Incidence of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease in Children in China.

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a globally-prevalent infectious disease. However, few data are available on prevention measures for HFMD. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the impacts of temperature, humidity, and air pollution, particularly levels of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter 10 micrometers (PM10), on the incidence of HFMD in a city in Eastern China. Daily morbidity, meteorological, and air pollution data for Ningbo City were collected for the period from January 2012 to December 2014. A total of 86,695 HFMD cases were enrolled in this study. We used a distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) with Poisson distribution to analyze the nonlinear lag effects of daily mean temperature, daily humidity, and found significant relationships with the incidence of HFMD; in contrast, PM10 level showed no relationship to the incidence of HFMD. Our findings will facilitate the development of effective preventive measures and early forecasting of HFMD outbreaks.

Multi-Source Characteristics of Atmospheric Deposition in Nanjing, China, as Controlled by East Asia Monsoons and Urban Activities

Atmospheric deposition, a major pathway of metals entering into soils, plays an important role in soil environment, especially in urban regions where a large amount of pollutants are emitted into atmosphere through various sources. In order to understand the characteristics of atmospheric deposition in urban area and its relation with natural and anthropogenic sources, a three-year study of atmospheric deposition at three typical sites, industrial zone (IN), urban residential area (RZ) and suburban forested scenic area (FA), was carried out in Nanjing, a metropolitan city in eastern China from 2005 to 2007. The bulk deposition rate and element composition of atmospheric deposition varied spatio-temporally in the urban zones of Nanjing. The concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb and Ca in the atmospheric deposits were strongly enriched in the whole Nanjing region; however, anthropogenic pollutants in atmospheric deposits were diluted by the input of external mineral dust transported from northwestern China. Source apportionment through principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the background atmospheric deposition at the FA site was the combination of external aerosol and local emission sources. The input of long-range transported Asian dust had an important influence on the urban background deposition, especially in spring when the continental dust from the northwestern China prevailed. Marine aerosol source was observed in summer and autumn, the seasons dominated by summer monsoon in Nanjing. In contrast, the contribution of local anthropogenic emission source was constant regardless of seasons. At the RZ and IN sites, the atmospheric deposition was more significantly affected by the nearby human activities than at the FA site. In addition, different urban activities and both the winter and summer Asian monsoons had substantial impacts on the characteristics of dust deposition in urban Nanjing.

Discovering and Visualizing Underlying Traffic Regions from Vehicle Trajectories with Multi-Features

City traffic often exhibits regional characteristics, such as large trucks frequently appearing in the suburbs, and the paths to playgrounds on weekends generally being congested. Discovering and visualizing these hidden traffic regions inside which roads share similar characteristics of traffic conditions simplifies the modeling complexities of whole city traffic conditions and therefore contributes significantly toward city planning. Unfortunately, such traffic regions always have irregular shapes and are time varying, which makes their discovery extremely complicated. In addition, establishing a method to visualize and explore the traffic regions interactively still remains challenging. In this article, the authors propose a latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA)-based approach to the discovery of underlying traffic regions (or region topics) from vehicle trajectories captured by surveillance devices installed along roadsides. They treat vehicle trajectories as documents and the values of different traffic features, such as locations, directions, speeds and vehicle types, as the corresponding words. After applying the LDA model, they obtain a list of region topics with combined feature values, in which the different feature values are clustered with probabilistic assignments. Meanwhile, they build a prototype system to explore the surveillance-device-based vehicle trajectories according to the discovered region topics. The prototype system, which consists of map view, cloud view, treemap view and matrix-table view, visualizes the feature values of hidden traffic regions. The authors finally research a real case based on the traffic data in Wenzhou&#xA0;City, a large city in eastern China with a population of more than nine million. They investigate approximately 157 surveillance devices and 750,000 moving vehicles. The case demonstrates the effectiveness of both their proposed approach and the prototype system.

Health-Related Quality of Life of Young Chinese Civil Servants Working in Local Government: Comparison of SF-12 and EQ5D

As the occupational group that delivers public services, civil servants confront a particular working property and environment. Previous studies indicate that this professional group suffers from issues of occupational health, especially mental problems. This study investigates the group’s general health condition from the perspective of health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The samples of the study consist of young civil servants working in the local government agencies of six relatively economically developed cities in eastern China. The five-dimensional European quality of health scale (EQ5D) and the twelve-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) are employed. We will compare the measuring differences between two measurements and discussed the feasibility of combing two. Results indicate that 75.5 % of the respondents have an undergraduate-level educational degree and below and that 72.7 % of the job position consists of the township staff level and below. The participants report unfavorable HRQOL measurement scores, particularly in the dimension of mental health. Low education and employment grade are two important negative factors. The dimensions of SF-12 and EQ5D are significantly correlated. EQ5D is more sensitive to the gender factor, whereas SF-12 has a higher sensitivity to the employment grade factor. We suggest that the results of these two scales are comparable and that they complement each other.