祖父母在提供家庭爱、支持和智慧方面扮演着关键角色，通常还以实际和经济方式支持他们。当孙子女被诊断出患有疾病时，祖父母经历的心理社会影响可能是显著的，包括压力增加、焦虑、悲痛以及生活的干扰。然而，现有文献往往忽视了祖父母的经历。GROKids 项目旨在研究孙子女患癌症诊断对祖父母的影响。该项目采用混合方法，并包括三个研究：一项纵向队列研究（研究1）和一项定性研究（研究2），涉及到最近被诊断出患有癌症的孙子女的祖父母，以及一项交叉研究（研究3），涉及到儿童癌症幸存者的祖父母。研究1在癌症诊断后的两年内涵盖了四个时间点，而研究2探索了这些祖父母的生活经历的子样本。研究3收集了在3至10年前诊断为儿童癌症幸存者的祖父母的数据。参与者在瑞士的八个儿科肿瘤中心和患者倡导和支持组织中进行招募。符合条件的要求包括孙子女被诊断出患有癌症，并且能够流利地说德语、法语或意大利语。研究程序涉及从符合条件的家庭中索取祖父母的联系方式，随后与祖父母联系，提供研究信息，获得知情同意，并通过邮寄或在线发送问卷。提醒电话和邮件用于提高回应率。数据分析包括多层次回归（研究1）、主题分析（研究2）和回归分析（研究3）。使用各种经过验证的问卷来评估身体健康和整体幸福感、心理健康、内在和外在因素。该项目填补了了解患有癌症的孙子女对祖父母心理社会影响的空白。它采用了包括多种方法学和考虑到更广泛的家庭背景的综合方法。该项目的优势在于其混合方法设计、纵向研究方法以及除祖父母外，还包括病童、兄弟姐妹和父母的观点。通过更深入地了解祖父母的经历，研究人员和医疗保健专业人员可以制定有针对性的干预和支持服务，以满足祖父母的独特需求。© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.

Grandparents play a crucial role in providing their families with love, support, and wisdom, often also supporting them in practical and financial ways. The psychosocial effects experienced by grandparents when a grandchild is diagnosed with an illness can be significant, including increased stress, anxiety, grief, and disruptions in their own lives. Yet, the experience of grandparents is often overlooked in the literature.The GROKids Project aims to investigate how grandparents are affected by a grandchild's cancer diagnosis. It employs a mixed-methods approach and consists of three studies: a longitudinal cohort study (Study 1) and a qualitative study (Study 2) involving grandparents of children with a recent cancer diagnosis, and a cross-sectional study (Study 3) of grandparents of childhood cancer survivors. Study 1 covers four time points over two years after the cancer diagnosis, while Study 2 explores the lived experiences of a subsample of these grandparents. Study 3 collects data from grandparents of childhood cancer survivors diagnosed 3 to 10 years ago. Participants are recruited across eight pediatric oncology centers in Switzerland, and through patient advocacy and support groups. Eligibility criteria include having a grandchild diagnosed with cancer and being fluent in German, French, or Italian. Study procedures involve requesting grandparents' contacts from eligible families, and later contacting grandparents, providing study information, obtaining informed consent, and sending out questionnaires by post or online. Reminder calls and mails are used to improve response rates. Data analysis includes multilevel regression (Study 1), thematic analysis (Study 2), and regression analyses (Study 3). Various validated questionnaires are used to assess physical health and overall well-being, psychological health, internal, and external factors.This project addresses the gaps in understanding the psychosocial effects on grandparents having a grandchild diagnosed with cancer. It utilizes a comprehensive approach, including multiple methodologies and considering the broader family context. The project's strengths lie in its mixed-methods design, longitudinal approach, and inclusion of the perspectives of the sick children, siblings, and parents, besides grandparents. By gaining a more profound understanding of grandparents' experiences, researchers and healthcare professionals can develop targeted interventions and support services to address grandparents' unique needs.© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.