To investigate and analyze the dietary cadmium exposure of women from heavy metals polluted rural areas of a central province in the central China, PR.Methods 8 local farmed food groups (rice and its products, leafy vegetables, root vegetables, gourd vegetables, legume vegetables, solanaceous vegetables, pork and fishes) were collected from 16 heavy metals polluted rural areas. Cadmium concentration in the food were determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption, and the consumption of the 8 local farmed food groups was evaluated by a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The health risk was preliminary assessed by comparing the dietary cadmium exposure with provisional tolerable monthly intake (PTMI).Results Among the 8 food groups, the average cadmium concentration of rice and its products was the highest (86.784 μg/kg), followed by solanaceous vegetables (64.060 μg/kg). The average cadmium concentration of pork was 4.862 μg/kg, which was the lowest. The average dietary cadmium exposure of local women per month was estimated to be 22.394 μg/kg BW, accounted for 89.57% of PTMI; the upper 90th percentile of dietary cadmium exposure per month was estimated to be 53.929 μg/kg BW, accounted for 222.27% of PTMI. Rice and its products, as the main contributor, contributed 67.52% of dietary cadmium exposure. Conclusion The dietary cadmium exposure of women from heavy metals polluted rural areas of one province of central China was at a relatively high level, and a part of the women's dietary cadmium exposure exceeded the PTMI. In addition, the dietary cadmium exposure contribution of rice and its products was the highest.